


Wrap Your Arms Around Me in A Warm Embrace

by AnotherDayInHistory



Category: The Voice (US) RPF
Genre: F/M, Gen, meanMiranda; meanTrace; mentions of infidelity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-26
Updated: 2016-01-30
Packaged: 2018-05-16 07:42:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 36,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5819992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnotherDayInHistory/pseuds/AnotherDayInHistory
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Six Times Blake and Gwen saved each other. Six disconnected stories in one-shot format.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. People Who Need People

**Author's Note:**

> I don't even know you guys. This came to me one day, and here we have it. A few notes. Before I become a pariah, I'm just putting this out there (and I know this will come as a shock to some of you :P), but this is not real. Wow, I know, right! While you get yourself together and contain your amazement, I will continue. Miranda and Trace are probably nice people, and they probably don't act the way i've described (which is not so nice), so if you don't like reading stories where Miranda or Trace isn't so nice at first, please continue on. 
> 
> Also, this story includes sensitive!Blake, because I can't seem to write him any other way. Hopefully its not too out of character, but he's always struck me as the type that's super gentle underneath all of his masculine bravado. Meh, who knows, maybe i'm wrong.

One of Gwen’s favorite things about getting closer to Blake had been meeting the most important people in his life. Frat boy facade aside, Blake was just _nice_ to everyone he met, and a result he had a lot of friends. He was known to be low-maintenance and easy to work with, so he had a lot of dieting partners and instrumentalists and show backup singers who had later become his friends. He laughed easily and did everything he could to help people without asking for recognition; he signed autographs without complaint and posed for picture after picture even when he was exhausted or cranky, and so the fans as a whole loved him (the only ones that didn’t  were those that personally attacked him on Twitter for no reason or just because they could; be blocked them or sent them away with a well-placed barb and that was that). Blake mostly loved people, and so Gwen had met a ton of people who he liked and who liked him.

 

However, Blake, despite his wide circle of acquaintances, had very few true friends. Gwen put it down to the fact that under the macho-man quasi-alcoholic bravado he was actually quite sensitive and emotional, and she knew his heart had been hurt too many times in the past by something someone had done to him to trust easily. He chose his closest friends very carefully. They were those that didn’t mind that Blake was touchy and loved the safety and security of a hug with someone he trusted, those that didn't mind that he still got tears in his eyes when he sang the song he wrote for his brother, those that understood why he cried like a baby when he’d caught Miranda cheating on him when he’d surprised her on her tour just before filming the Season 9 blind auditions. His close friends were few and far between, and though they ranged in age and gender, they were all kind and funny and open minded.

 

Take Adam for example. She has to admit, when she first started in Season 7, she wasn’t his biggest fan. He seemed arrogant and overly provocative for no reason, and his hyperactivity sometimes stressed her out and reminded her of Zuma hyped up on chocolate cake. But, as she got to know him throughout the season and saw how good he was to Blake, she warmed up to him. She took his hyperactivity as just a part of his personality, and appreciated the fact that he could be doing a sexy dance one minute and squealing and jumping into his wife’s arms the next. Blake loved him, even though they were so different. He made Blake laugh during the Season 9 blind auditions (during every commercial break when Blake would be fiddling with his phone Adam would be over at his chair messing with his hair or throwing the papers on his little desk to the floor, anything to make him laugh), and she knew that Blake had lived with Adam for awhile while his and Miranda’s house in LA was being sold (she’d seen Blake that first day during that first production get out of the car with Adam and he’d looked beaten and broken down, tired and sick, and Gwen had started to go over to him but Adam had shaken his head with a slightly concerned expression towards the taller man. Blake had zoned out his way through their meeting and Adam in a surprising wave of studiousness had taken enough notes for the both of them, deflecting questions to Blake to himself while Blake stared off into space with a tight fist on his pen, writing nothing down. Gwen later came to find out that had been the day after Blake had found Miranda cheating, and he’d taken a commercial flight half-wasted from Georgia L.A. to collapse on Adam’s doorstep and sob in his arms; he’d then gotten blackout drunk and passed out in Adam’s bathtub. It was all Adam could do to get Blake dressed, showered, and into the building). Now Adam was her friend too, and she loved him like a slightly irritating little brother that you sometimes wanted to hit but usually wanted to hug.

 

Gwen had met Kelly at Amanda’s wedding in Nashville, and the shorter woman had almost immediately made her laugh with a quip about her pregnancy. She was as nice to Gwen as if Gwen had been with Blake their whole lives, and she immediately took her with the other women while “ Blake went with the guys to shoot stuff.” When Kelly had seen Blake, she’d hugged him tightly before slapping him upside the head in a way that reminded Gwen of what a big sister did to her goofy little brother. Kelly later admitted at the reception (while Gwen was watching Blake tickle Amanda’s niece with hearts in her eyes) that she’d never liked Miranda very much, and that her somewhat cold personality never seemed to make Blake smile the way Gwen could. Gwen had a cat that got the cream grin the rest of the night despite the fact that she tried to tamp it down, and Blake had kissed her lovingly and relished in her joy.

 

Luke had been the same and yet different. He’d given Blake a hug that went on too long to be manly when Luke had seen Blake, before slapping him on the back and pulling out his phone for pictures of his kids and his latest fishing trip. He’d kissed Gwen’s hand and winked at her in a way that was all Southern gentleman before turning back to Blake and regressing to age five in ten seconds flat. Later at the restaurant, Gwen had been chatting with Luke’s wife when she’d gotten an amused look and had looked across the table with a crooked eyebrow. Gwen’s eyes had followed and she’d seen Blake and Luke absolutely falling over each other (what was funnier is that none of them had any alcohol in their systems) in laughter, tears running down their faces and heads leaning together. “ There they go,” Luke’s wife had said like this was a regular occurrence. Gwen had giggled, taking in Blake’s radiantly happy face and feeling a flush come over her cheeks.

 

Reba had been a little more gentle, and Gwen could see Blake thought of her like a second mother. He’d leaned down to tuck his face in her shoulder when she’d hugged him, and Reba had stroked his hair the same way a mother would. She’d pinched his cheek and asked if he was eating enough, and Blake had fidgeted and murmured something to her. Reba had pulled a tupperware of something out from a canvas tote bag she’d brought with her (come to find out they were fried green tomatoes, one of Blake’s favorite foods, and my god were they ever good Gwen found out as Blake had fed her a bite later that evening on the couch) that made Blake’s eyes light up. To Gwen, Reba had been incredibly sweet, her smile growing every time Blake held her chair out or put a hand on the small of her back or tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “You two are cuter’n a puppy,” She’d said after blake had calmly without a word taken the onions off of the top of her salad to put on his own burger while Gwen had taken the stack of red peppers off of his for her salad. Blake had flushed and grinned before wrapping his arm around Gwen’s shoulders and kissing her forehead, and Gwen had leaned into it, staring up at him.

 

One person Gwen had never understood Blake being friends with, though, was Trace Adkins. She knew that Trace had been like a father to Blake when he moved away from Oklahoma, and that he’d scared Blake into behaving when he was younger and too much of a partier. She’d seen the way Blake cared for him, heard the way he talked about his mentor in interviews. But to be quite honest, Trace had always seemed like kind of a jerk to Gwen. He wrote songs derogatorily describing womens’ asses, he’d been arrested, and he made his feelings about and opposition to some of the things she believed in most strongly well known. But, she respected his place in Blake’s life, and even after Trace had said in an interview not long after Blake and Gwen had started dating that Blake had ‘lost his mind’ (she didn’t think Blake knew about that one and she was going to keep it that way to protect her boyfriend’s heart), when Blake invited her to Nashville to go meet Trace at Trace’s house she’d agreed (and hoped Blake hadn’t sense her unusual amount of nervousness). Blake had emailed Trace an acceptance and had asked him if he was cooking. When Trace said yes, Blake had said that Gwen was vegan and had told Trace what that meant (Gwen had told him to tell Trace that she’d be happy to bring her own food if he wanted her to but Blake had waved his hand in dismissal saying that Trace could cook a shoe into being tasty).

 

They’d gone to Nashville and driven to Trace’s luxury ranch house, and Gwen had been immediately confronted with a Confederate flag and six guns forming a sort of fence around his porch. She’d jumped a little and stepped closer to Blake. Blake had winced and rubbed her back a little, and as he turned to come closer to the doorway his expression had widened a little in horror. A second later, Gwen saw why. A large bear carcass formed the entryway rug to the house, its big eyes staring Gwen right in the face.

 

“ Holy shit!!” Gwen yelped, grabbing onto Blake’s hand with both of hers. She’d tucked her face behind his arm to avoid the bear’s eyes (she kept thinking of that movie Brother Bear that she’d watched with her kids recently and it made her want to cry seeing the dead animal), and Blake gripped her hand tightly, setting his jaw a little (because the rug was obviously new and Gwen knew Blake was wondering why Trace had put it outside when he knew Blake’s vegan girlfriend was coming over).

 

They rang the doorbell, and Trace answered it with his long hair in a braid and a Harley t-shirt. Blake beamed and went to hug him as tightly as he had Kelly and Luke and Reba, but Trace had pushed him away after only a second with a few slaps on the back (Gwen wanted to take away the slightly lost look on her boyfriend’s face as he was pushed away sooner than he wanted). She stepped further into the house with the two men, trying to ignore the taxidermied animals on the walls around the house (even though she was picturing the sounds they made as they died and the thought made her heart hurt).

 

Blake put his arm around Gwen, presenting her to Trace with a huge smile. “ This is Gwen, “ He said proudly. Gwen smiled as bright as she could and stuck her hand out to shake.

 

“ Nice to meet you,” Gwen had said at the taller man. Trace had rolled his eyes at her before taking her hand in a totally flimsy handshake for all of a second, then ignoring her and walking away. Gwen’s eyes widened and she’d shifted her hands in her pockets, looking at the floor as she felt her eyes fill. She heard a surprised irritated huff from Blake as she swallowed down her tears with all the strength she had. Blake rubbed her back, lifting her chin and staring down at her.

 

“ I don’t know what’s gotten into him,” He murmured, and she put on a smile, waving it away.

 

“ Probably just tired and hungry, it’s not a big deal, “ She said as nonchalantly as she could manage.

 

The next hour is one of the worst of Gwen’s life since she found out about Gavin and the nanny. Absolutely everything Trace made (a full Southern spread) has meat or meat byproduct (he tells her with a smirk that what makes the cheese potatoes so good is the bacon fat and bits sprinkled in them just as she’s about tot take a bite, and she sets her fork down with a calmness she doesn’t feel. She was going to eat dairy just so she could eat _something—_ and pay for it later, she could usually eat the occasional ice cream without a problem but to eat this much of it at a time would make her suffer—because she hadn’t eaten since eleven and it was nine now and she was starving, but she knew from experience that if she ate meat she’d be heaving her guts out for hours because her body wasn’t used to it. She wraps her arms around her growling stomach and sips at her water slowly). Blake’s hands clench into fists from where he’s sitting and he opens his mouth before Gwen sets a hand on his knee and shakes his head minutely. His jaw clenches hard and he glares at Trace but obeys her wishes, his knuckles white around his fork.

 

A couple of minutes later, listening to stilted conversation between the two men with her eyes fixed on the table, Gwen tunes into the conversation. “ And it don’t help that the music business bein’ taken over by powder puff princesses that act like a slut on TV and then are surprised when their husbands go somewhere else,” Trace is saying, and he’s looking right at her as he says it. Gwen’s mouth falls open and her eyes fill with tears, a few of them slipping down her face before she can help it. She pushed back from the table noisily, ducking her head and thinking of nothing but getting the fuck out of there as quickly as she could.

 

“ I have to m-make a phone call,” She says barely audibly, and throws open the front door after slipping on her flats. she doesn’t stop moving until she’s leaned against the car on the passenger side (if she’d have stayed in the house she’d have seen Blake practically throw down his fork with an angry ‘ that’s fuckin’ enough,’ drawled into Tracey’s face. She’d have heard Trace say he didn’t know what Blake was doin’ with a city slicer when he could have kept Miranda who was a real woman. She’d have seen Blake, angrier than he’d ever been, telling his mentor and one time father figure that he was happier than he’d been in years and that he wouldn’t stand for anyone to talk about his lady that way. She’d have seen Trace say that Blake had lost his mind, and she’d have seen Blake’s hand curl into a fist like he wanted to punch him before he thought better of it and shouted, ‘fuck you and the horse you rode on’ before storming out of the house). Gwen tries to hold in her sobs as she leans against the car (and it’s the spot where she’d pinned Blake the night before outside of the hotel room they’re staying out before kissing the breath out of him, whispering all the things she wanted to do to him while he groaned and nodded frantically at each one). Suddenly, Blake’s in her space, warm arms wrapping around her. She pushes him away and he resists, and even as she’s trying to inhale her tears and saying, “ N-no I’l be fine go back in there,” she’s tucking her face into his shoulder and nuzzling against it, seeking comfort.

 

Blake tucks Gwen against his body and rocks them a little until her tears quiet, at which point he asks he if it would be okay if they left and he could let go of her to start the car. She nodded wetly, and he’d done just that, taking her hand and playing with her fingers as soon as he’s able.

 

The ride back is totally silent, and when Gwen looks away from the window she’s staring out of she sees Blake is practically trembling, his face one big portrait of hurt and anger. He sees her looking then and kisses her fingers over and over, nuzzling his mouth against them and murmuring, “ I'm sorry,” over and over again. He’s interrupted when her stomach growls loudly and she blushes and fidgets. A look of horror crosses his features. “ Oh god darlin’ you m just be starvin’, let’s go and get you food,” he murmurs as he strokes over her wrist. Only, O’ Charley’s is closed because its Sunday night down South and so are the other three restaurants and grocery stores Gwen can find food at. Blake looks at her with a concerned expression before pulling over and pulling out his phone. She doesn’t pay attention; her eyes are closed to ward off the headache that’s pounding beneath her eyelids. She feels rejected and a little hopeless (because if Blake’s essential father didn’t like her what hope was there for their relationship) and still _starving,_ and she’s hoping that the abyss of sleep can take her away from it all.

 

The car starts moving again, and fifteen minutes later they pull into Reba’s driveway. Blake shakes her awake with a rub over her hair and a kiss to her forehead. Reba’s at the front door in sweatpants with her hair pulled into a ponytail, and she hugs them both to her tightly before bringing them inside the warm house. She sets a bowl of vegetable tortilla soup in front of Gwen as well as a tall glass of iced tea, and strokes Gwen’s hair a little as Gwen smiles shyly at her before tucking in with large unladylike bites when she thinks they can’t see her (but they can; Blake watches her with worried hurt eyes and Reba looks like she wants to mother Gwen forever; Blake gives Reba a grateful look and she nods). They leave her to eat then, and as her headache slowly dissipates with every bite and she can concentrate on things other than how hungry she is, she realizes Blake and Reba aren’t in the kitchen with her. Taking her empty bowl to the sink and putting it in the dishwasher, she goes to look for them.

 

She doesn’t have to go far. They’re in the living room, with the TV on low in the background and the fireplace roaring. Blake's seated half on the arm of the couch half standing, with Reba standing in front of him. Through the slight noise, she can just make out their soft words.

 

“ I just dun’t know what the hell I was thinkin’,” Blake murmured, and Reba rubbed his back as he hung his head, his arms resting on his bent knees.

 

“ Don’t beat yourself up, you didn’t know how he felt about her,” Reba murmured back. Blake shuddered.

 

“ I can’t fuckin’ believe him, he cooks everythin’ he knows Gwen can’t eat and watches as she has to starve herself and then _says_ somethin’ like that when he sees how happy I am? I mean,” She sees Blake swallow, and Reba’s listening with her head tilted, “ ‘Ran never made me happy like this,” Blake’s words catch and Reba grabs his hand in a comforting gesture.

 

“ I know,” Reba murmurs. Blake’s shoulders tremble in the firelight.

 

“The most fucked up part ‘bout this whole thing is that I miss him already,” Blake’s words catch again and it’s obvious to anyone within a five-mile radius how hurt he is.

 

Gwen expects sanders and a wave of tears to fill her listening to them, and they do. She wants to go over there and wrap her arms around Blake and run her fingers through his hair and tell him how amazing he is and how much she loves him. And she will. But she’s also filled with a deep anger at the man who caused this all, an anger she’s determined to channel into something constructive this time instead of just letting the hurt rain down on the people she loved without doing anything about it. She’s determined like she’s never been, determined to not let anything else be taken away from Blake Shelton. He’d already lost most of his dogs to Miranda and his favorite truck and a lot of his self-confidence when she’d cheated; Gwen wasn’t going to let him lose his mentor too. She checked her makeup in the hall mirror as she crept as quietly as she could back through the kitchen, and touched up her face and steeled her jaw. 

 

She pulled a piece of paper out of her purse, and quickly scribbled, **I took the car to take care of something. Be back soon xoxo Gwen PS: The soup was delicious, thank you :)** before folding it around Blake’s phone which sat on the entryway table. He was sure to find it there. As quietly as she could, she left through the front door, pulling up the last directions on her phone that they’d used to get to Trace’s earlier that evening. For once in her life, she was going to be Gwen fucking Stefani, and have a backbone. She was going to kick some 6’6” country ass.

 

She slammed on the brakes of the car when she got there in ten minutes, getting out and stomping up to the door. From inside, she heard Trace’s giant coonhound barking wildly, and she didn’t even have to ring the doorbell before Trace was in the doorframe of the open door. He sneered at her when he saw her and started to close it in her face, but she blocked it with her body, standing strong. She poked Trace in the chest, making herself seem as intimidating as possible as she advanced on him while the dog barked and barked. “ What the fuck is your problem?!” She asked, and Trace crossed his arms.

 

“W—“ Trace started to say, and Gwen held up her hand, cutting him off.

 

“ No!” She shouted, “ You’re gonna sit there and listen to what I have to say, you stupid redneck bastard!” Trace’s eyes widened and his mouth opened, in shock a little before he smirked at her again and gave her a patronizing look. The dog wouldn’t stop barking even as Trace was opening his mouth to no doubt fire something back at her, but Gwen turned on the dog then, saying, “ Sit!” With a firm but calm voice. The dog immediately sat on his haunches and stopped barking (hey just like it worked on her kids it worked on the dog, too, apparently). The house was silent for a moment before Gwen continued.

 

“Look,” Gwen began, taking a deep breath to calm her voice into below a shout but still firm, “ I know you think i’m an LA slut who isn’t good enough for your precious Blake. I know you liked Miranda a lot and think i’m not as good as her. I know you think i’m gonna turn Blake into this…” She waved her hands, “ … person you don’t recognize. But i’m not trying to change him—“ She was interrupted by Trace.

 

“ Bullshit, he’s spent more time in LA since he met ya than he has here and that’s what’s fuckin’ bullshit, “ Trace bit out, looking over her shoulder at the wall. Gwen crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes, looking at him (because something was going on with this she just didn’t know what; he couldn’t possibly dislike her this much right away), but Trace continued, “ Miranda was a good country girl and yer nuttin’ but a—“ Gwen interrupted him.

 

“ An LA powder puff yes I know, “ Gwen bit out, and cocked her hip. “ For what it’s worth i’m not a powder puff,” She said firmly, with conviction. “ I’ve been working with men my whole goddamn life and I will kick your ass if you think they’ve listened to me because of the way I look. They respect me,” She steps closer to him and talks in his face, “ I am no powder puff, and I raised three boys _on my own_ while my husband was off sticking his dick in anything that moved.” She took in a deep breath and tried to bring down her anger.

 

“ You’ll still never be Miranda,” Trace’s voice was more obstinate than angry now, and Gwen scoffed out a laugh.

 

“ What? A cheating, emotional abusive woman? No I wont,” She says sarcastically. Trace’s mouth falls open and he stars at her, the house silent.

 

“ What the hell are you talkin’ about?” Trace asks. Gwen stared at him, suddenly realizing that he didn’t know (she felt bad for bearing Blake’s soul to Trace but honestly she thought Blake would have come to Trace about this whole thing).

 

“ Miranda cheated on Blake and Blake caught her,” Gwen said softly. Trace’s brow furrowed, and she continued, “ He went to surprise her on a tour stop ‘cause he hadn’t seen her in four months and he walked in on her fucking some other guy.” Trace takes a step back, and his face is angry again, “ and when he caught her, you know what she did? She tried to blame the whole thing on Blake. She basically told him that he’d never be enough to satisfy anyone because he was pansy ass.” (Gwen recalls Blake telling her one night during the blind auditions when they’d both gotten too drunk over their miserable lives. Gwen had watched him inhale his tears and had held his hand, stumbling into him for a hug that he returned with relish. She’d told him, into his shoulder, that she didn’t think he was a pansy ass but instead had a big heart, something which was rare in the world. Blake had stared at her with overwhelmed emotional eyes before kissing her forehead sloppily. That had been the beginning of their flirtation).

 

“W-what?” Trace’s voice was shaky, and with his eyes unshuttered Gwen finally figured it out.

 

“ Oh my god you miss him, “ Gwen said, half disbelieving laughter in her voice. Trace fidgeted, “ That’s why you’re mad at him and why you hated me on site. You’re afraid that if he’s with me he’s not going to be here seeing you as much,” She threw up her hands then, stomping, a groan of frustration escaping her lips, “ You are the most frustrating motherfucking gender!” She paced away from him, muttering to herself, “ Emotionally stunted, macho, son of a bitch…” She suddenly turned again and poked him in the chest hard with her nail. He winced. “ Look, I love him a lot but I also love who he is. I’m not going to change him or take him away from Nashville. I love it here and want to see more of it. And I don’t give a rat’s ass if you refuse to talk to me, or if you ignore me to talk to Blake when you see us here together or if you talk bad about me in interviews. But don’t pull away from Blake, “ her voice gentled and she sighed, “ Because he’s hurting still and i’m trying to heal his heart, and I need all the help I can get. He needs the man he considers to be his dad now that his is gone.” She reaches into her cross body purse that’s still slung around her body and rips a piece of paper out of her notebook she uses to scrawl songwriting ideas down in. She scribbles her phone number on it and sets it on Trace’s entryway table. “ He’s not gonna want to talk to you so if you’re ready to talk to him and have him in your life again give me a call and i’ll tell you where he is.” She walked over and scratched the coonhound’s ears then, murmuring softly to the dog how good he was before opening Trace’s door and leaving him in silence as it shut behind her.

 

The minute she was back in her SUV, she let out a huge breath, bringing her trembling hands up to her face and breathing in and out as slowly as she was able. “ Oh my god, “ she whimpered, bringing her trembling hands up to her face. She’d always prided herself on being nice and kind and gentle, and she’d gone all apeshit on a six foot six country man who could probably shoot her as soon as look at her. Exhaling one more breath, she started the car and drove back to Reba’s. 

 

Fifteen minutes later (she went the speed limit this time as opposed to the mad dash she’d made over to Trace’s before she lost her nerve), she was back in Reba’s driveway. As soon as she unbuckled her seatbelt, her phone buzzed, and for the first time that night she thought to check it. She had fifteen missed calls from a combination of Reba, Blake, and Kelly (good grief they’d really called out the guard hadn’t they; she knew Kelly was on tour in Nebraska) and over twenty text messages from the three of them with variations on **Where the hell are you?!?!?!** What made her smile widely, though, and feel like one of the most powerful women in the universe, was the most recent one, sent from a Nashville number she didn’t recognize.

 

Where is he? It said. Through her smile, she responded.

 

 **Reba’s. I will kick your ass from here to L.A. if you hurt him.** She sent back, wondering where the hell this boldness was coming from. Her phone pinged back.

 

Don’t I know it, was his response. She grinned triumphantly, stepping out of the car and trying the front door. It opened, unlocked, and as she was shutting it behind her Blake came sliding on the hardwood in his sock feet, exhaling a huge breath as soon as he saw her and sweeping her up into his arms without a word. She _oofed_ in surprise before running her fingers through his curls as he tucked his nose into her neck.

 

“ Where the hell were you?” He muttered into her skin, arms tight around her waist. “ I was so worried.” He exhaled, and she rubbed his back.

 

“ I left you a note,” she said soothingly. Blake huffed out a laugh.

 

“ Tellin’ me yer gonna take care’a’somethin’ explains nothin’,” He drawled, finally setting her feet back on the floor but keeping his arms wrapped around her. She rubbed over the small of his back, looking up at him.

 

“ Can I tell you about it later?” Gwen asked softly. Blake stared at her—his curiosity warring with his desire to give her what she wanted— before nodding slowly and reluctantly. he broke away and wrapped an arm around her waist, leading her further into the house.

 

“Reba was makin’ hot apple cider, you want some ‘fore we go?” Blake asked softly, and Gwen nodded. She stood up on her tiptoes then to give him kisses on both of his cheeks before nuzzling one with her nose. Blake smiled tenderly down at her before they saw Reba. Reba, to Gwen’s surprise, hugged her almost as tightly as Blake had, but stroked her hair in a motherly way. She didn’t say anything, but looked at Gwen and narrowed her eyes, and Gwen got the sense that Reba knew _exactly_ where she’d been. Gwen blinked back innocently, ignoring the flush that made its way over her cheeks. 

 

They’re sitting in Reba’s large living room with their mugs (and Blake had just tucked Gwen under his arm) when the doorbell rings. Reba took a nonchalant sip of her mug then, giving Gwen a knowing look, and said casually, “ Blake, would you mind gettin’ the door,” Blake’s brows furrowed in puzzlement and he looks disbelieving at her having him get the door when they were all doing the same thing, but after a second just shrugged and walked into the hallway (because Blake would do anything she asked and this wasn’t even a big deal). Gwen and Reba looked at each other for a moment before scrambling up to follow them (Reba mutters something about whether she should bring a baseball bat to hit them off of each other and Gwen giggles a little, nervous), reaching the entryway hallway just as Blake was opening the door. Blake froze when he saw Trace standing there, and his face clouded.

 

“ What the hell are you doin’ here?” Blake glared, blocking the doorway with his body. Trace fidgeted and looked down at the ground.

 

“ Can we talk?” Trace asked softly. Blake lifted his head and crossed his arms.

 

“ Don’t really have anythin’ to say to you after you called my girlfriend a slut right the fuck in front of her,” Blake bit out the words, seeming to get angrier with each one. Trace stuffed his hands in his pockets.

 

“ I reckon…” Trace started, “ I reckon she’s not.” Blake’s face was impassive.

 

“ Reckon she’s not what?” Blake pressed. Trace fidgeted more, so obviously uncomfortable that Gwen almost started laughing.

 

“ Well, I reckon I shouldn’t a said those things about’r,” Trace drawled lowly, and Blake’s shoulders fell a little. His face was still angry, but Gwen knew it was probably masking how hurt he was.

 

“ You reckoned right,” Blake said tensely. 

 

“ I also reckon she’s good for you,” Trace said, “ Anyone who’s no bigger’n a baby deer comin’ over and threatenin’ to kick my country ass if I hurt you is probably not all bad, “ Trace finishes, practically mumbling the last words. Blake hears him though, and he’s one hundred percent shocked, turning to face her with his mouth wide open and his eyes wide. Reba gives her a knowing look and Gwen shrugs, blushing and looking at the floor.

 

Blake leaves the door wide open and he turns, coming over to Gwen and wrapping an arm around her waist. He pulls her over to Trace, putting a hand on the small of her back and presenting her to him with a deep breath.

 

“Trace, this is Gwen,” Blake said meaningfully. Thrace and Blake stared at each other for a second before Tracey shook the hand she’d stuck out in a firm, friendly handshake.

 

“ Nice to meet you,” Trace said quietly, but sincerely. She smiled a small smile back.

 

“ Nice to meet you too,” Gwen said quietly. Their hands broke away and Reba came over to take her by the shoulders.

 

“Gwen,” Reba said quietly, “ Why don’t I come take ya to the kitchen to make some’a those fried green tomatoes to take back with you two when ya go? Your kids’ll love ‘em probably,” Reba’s look was meaningful and Gwen understood that the two men needed a minute. Gwen nodded and smiled before starting to walk with her back towards the kitchen.

 

“ Ya got kids?” Trace’s voice was tentative and quiet. Gwen looked over to him and nodded (he’d not been paying attention then when she told him as she was yelling at him at his house; probably too shocked to pay attention).

 

“ Yep. Three boys; nine, seven, and almost two.” Gwen said. Trace looked from Blake to Gwen.

 

“ This one,” He pointed towards Blake, “ Has always wanted kids.” Gwen nodded gently and Blake smiled softly at them both.

 

“ I know,” Gwen said softly, reaching over to give Blake’s hand a squeeze before she followed Reba into the kitchen.

 

It’s thirty seconds later when Trace and Blake make their way past the kitchen to the living room. As soon as they’re out of sight, Reba puts down the knife she’d been using to chop the tomatoes and hugs her tightly. 

 

“ That was a real nice thing ya did for him,” Reba said. Gwen smiled, blushed and shrugged before starting to help Reba mix the batter.

 

When the two women come into the living room twenty minutes later, Gwen and Reba stop cold at the sight they see. Trace has Blake in a tight fatherly hug, Blake sitting on the arm of the couch so he could tuck his face into Trace’s shoulder as he cried and cried. Trace rubbed his back, muttering comforting word. Gwen couldn’t hear everything they said, but she did make out one sentence. “ Hey naw,” Trace said, “ don’t be cryin’ over Miranda when you got a good woman in there now,” Blake had laughed a watery laugh, nodding a little into Trace’s chest and pulling himself together. Gwen stared at Trace, her own eyes filling a little before Reba pulled her back into the kitchen.

 

Later that night, with a belly full of good food and a practically asleep on his feet Blake, Gwen drives them to the hotel. She practically has to carry her six foot five boyfriend inside, and helps him change into pajamas before joining him on the bed. Blake immediately snuggles on top of her, moving and folding down so he can stick his head in Gwen’s stomach covered by one of his Cardinals t-shirts.

 

“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” He mutters sleepily, punctuating each thank you with a kiss one the material of her t-shirt. She responds by smiling sleepily and curling her fingers around his ears into his hair, and he hums happily. “ I love you,” He murmurs, and his eyes close and stay that way.

 

“ I love you too,” she whispers into the night, the sounds of the city and the soft wheeze of his breathing comforting her into warm dark abyss.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wherein Blake and Gwen discover that they're the other's world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another long ass chapter for you! It's super schmaltzy, but what can I say that's my mood lately. This is what happens when you have a fever all day so you sleep all day and then are awake at 3:30 a.m. You type up your stories. 
> 
> There are a few songs that are a part of this chapter. (1) Leather and Lace by Stevie Nicks and Don Henley (2) Gonna by Blake Shelton. They're two of my favorite songs at the moment; if you really want to get in the mood for the chapter pull them up. Leather and Lace has some lyrics in the story, and there's a cue for when you want to play Gonna if that's what trips your trigger.
> 
> Also, in a sidenote, if you want to totally fall in love with Blake and see mega excited Blake, go watch his surprise invitation to the Grand Ole Opry on Youtube. So. Bloody. Adorable. You will melt from the cuteness. Trust me, you know you want to. Just go do it. No, don't get a snack first. Just go. I'll wait for you to come back...

Gwen knows that one of the things that caused Miranda and Blake’s marriage to fall apart was the amount of time they spent away from each other. Even when they first got married, she knows that Blake wanted to have a honeymoon but Miranda had insisted on going off on tour almost immediately. Gwen’s first season on the Voice, all throughout all of the tapings and filming rehearsals and meetings, she had only seen Miranda and Blake together once, at some afterparty for the Battle Rounds of the show. She’d seen them out of the corner of her eye while she was talking to Pharell. Blake had been staring down at Miranda as he spoke, and his face was dead serious in a way Gwen had never really seen from Blake. Miranda and he had obviously been arguing, and the smaller woman had been flaming up at him, but the room was too noisy for Gwen to make out what they were arguing about.

 

Gwen had seen Blake hang his head, his shoulders slumping. He had muttered something that made Miranda cross her arms and glare up at him. He’d tried to lean down and kiss her cheek, then, but Miranda had grabbed his arm _hard_ (Gwen had winced just seeing it and imagining the red mark left behind) before shoving him away and storming off. She had seen Blake look after Miranda with an absolutely devastated expression. His eyes had sparkled and he’d swallowed a few times (Gwen didn’t know what this meant at the time but she now knew that this was what he did when he was trying not to cry) before throwing back the drink that was in his hand with a grimace at its strength. He’d moved to the bar then, but had been waylaid by Adam, who’d touched his arms and talked quietly to him for a few minutes before steering him away from the drinks out the side door of the club.

 

Pharell had pulled her attention back then with a “Gwen?” and she’d blushed and apologized of being so rude. Pharell had waved it off before looking where she’d been watching Blake and Miranda. The hip hop artist had signed then and said, “ Ya know boo, I don’t even know why and man I be trying not to judge before getting to know people but there’s just something about Miranda that don’t sit right with me, you know?” Gwen had nodded emphatically (because even when Blake talked about her there was an undercurrent there that Gwen couldn’t place). 

 

“She makes Blake look sad,” Gwen said softly, sipping her drink. Pharell had nodded.

 

“ Right on,” he’d said. They’d moved onto other topics then, but Gwen couldn’t get the look in Blake’s eyes as Miranda had walked away out of her mind.

 

Through a surprisingly heartfelt conversation at the opening night party for Season 9 (Blake had been sitting in a booth off in the corner looking as upset as Gwen felt with her horrible life so she’d slid in next to him, nudging her knee against his. He’d smiled softly into his dimples and had taken a long sip of what she’d later found out was just seltzer water with lime) Blake had told her that before he’d discovered Miranda was cheating (and that part had shocked Gwen because their stories were so similar in many ways through Blake had actually caught them in the act and oh my god that had to be so much worse than finding text messages like Gwen had), they’d only spent two weeks of 2015 together. Gwen had rubbed his arm comfortingly in the same spot Miranda had grabbed it the year before, and Blake had put his hand over hers. His palm was warm, callused, and comforting. Blake had cleared his throat after admitting quietly that maybe he just wasn’t meant to be with anyone, and Gwen’s eyes had filled with sympathetic tears (because she’d thought the same thing about herself some nights when she couldn’t sleep). She’d stood up then and pulled on Blake’s arm to stand too, wrapping her arms around him in a tight and comforting hug. He’d stiffened in surprise for a few seconds before hugging her back so tightly his knuckles were white, and she’d felt him bury his nose in her hair with a shaky sigh.

 

Now that Blake and Gwen were a couple and had been for awhile, Gwen was determined to not let distance and the fact that they were both recording artists in entirely different musical and geographical genres keep their relationship from working. She’d invited Blake to spend time with her family (and they’d loved him a in a way that they’d never loved Gavin and the thought of it made her so happy) and he’d brought her to meet his mom (who was sweet and smily but could kick Blake’s ass and turn him into a six year old in seconds flat). They’d gone to her favorite places in LA and she’d visited his ranch in Oklahoma (she’d loved it; there were surprisingly no deer antlers or animal carcasses in sight and the entire place was warm and comforting with big oversized couches and racks upon racks of old records. There’d been a jukebox in one corner and record player in the other next to a few of Blake’s more expensive guitars, and the huge bay windows allowed them to look out on the landscape as they sat in front of the big fireplace); they’d basically spent a month in each other’s pockets and hadn’t annoyed the other at all (because even though Gwen fell asleep at the drop of a hat the minute a movie came on or they got in the car and even though Blake liked to get up way too early to sign with his guitar, that didn’t bother them when it was compared to morning breath kisses and dancing goofily to ‘80s music and spooning on the chaise lounge on her back porch).

 

Then it had come time to tour. Blake was first, spending almost a month back out on the road before coming back to film the rest of Season 10. Then two days later, Gwen was off for a there month sojourn around the country with brief breaks that left her enough time to fly the boys out for the weekend. The weekend before Blake’s tour started, they’d had the boys on Friday. Blake had taken them all to Disneyland and rode all the spinning rides with them that Gwen couldn’t ride because she got dizzy, and he’d ignored the paparazzi and bought them all pizza and ice cream and wrapped an arm around her waist and given her forehead kisses while they were waiting for the parade. He’d put Apollo on his shoulders as they left that evening and tickled the bottoms of Apollo’s feet under his sandals until the toddler squealed and squirmed and accidentally hit him in the face. He’d endured the tugs to his curls from Apollo (Gwen was going to tell him that he looked slightly ridiculous with his hair half matted from the hat he’d had on that was now on Kingston’s head and half fluffed from being played with by Apollo, but his beaming smile had shut her up). He’d carried a sleeping Zuma into Gavin’s house (Gavin had glared but Gwen had given him an icy look and he’d put his hands up in surrender as Blake had set Zuma in his bed and covered him up) while Gwen handed Apollo off to Gavin. Apollo turned and had made grabby hands for Blake (Gavin had tensed again but this time he decided wisely not to try it) and Blake had played with the little boys hands before kissing them wet and slobbery, and had beamed when Apollo had giggled. 

 

They’d gotten in the car after driving the boys off and Blake had stared at the house with a surprisingly forlorn expression, taking her hand and kissing the knuckles before muttering,” I’m gonna miss them.” Gwen had beamed at him, nuzzling at his cheek with her hand as they’d driven to her house.

 

Saturday was an entirely different story. He had woke Gwen up with breakfast in bed with her favorite (Gwen had wondered where on earth he’d learned to make eggs benedict and he’d admitted that he’d taken a cooking class last time he was in Nashville without her to learn how to make it, and she’d give him a hollandaise flavored kiss before feeding him a bite of her breakfast off of her work). Then he’d taken her hand and led her to the shower, where he’d gotten on his knees on the tile floor and licked her to orgasm while she braced herself on the shower wall with her hands in his hair. He told her to dress for a day out while he got the car ready, and when she came outside she gasped. He’d rented a 1975 red Mustang convertible, a car she’d told him she’d fallen in love with but could never afford, and had put what looked like a picnic basket in the backseat. He’d driven her up the coast after putting one of his hats on her head, and they’s walked the cliffs by the ocean and held hands and taken selfies and kissed, and seen no one around for miles. He’s put all of her favorite foods in the picnic basket for lunch. His nose burns a little in the sun and so do the tops of her shoulders, and even though she’s usually fanatical about sun protection this time she doesn’t care.

 

Later that evening, he takes her to the VIP entrance of a small music club and surprises her with Private room seats to see Emmylou Harris (whom Gwen had said she loved but had never gotten to go to one of her shows). Gwen squealed and hugged him and beamed, and he’d wrapped his arms around her from behind as they both sing along and sway to the music. He nuzzles the side of her hair under her hat, and she rubs her fingertips over his knuckles. They meet Emmylou afterwards and Gwen fangirls and Blake takes pictures of the two of them. They go home and Gwen undresses hi and then herself and puts on the plaid shirt he’s had on all day on her naked body, and nudges his hands away when he tries to touch her skin. She pins his arms over his head and murmurs “ Keep them there,” and slithers down his body before giving him a blowjob he’ll still be feeling for a week, all wet moist head and fingertips pressing into that sensitive spot just beneath his ass. She swallows when he comes as she looks up at him, an the pants with his mouth open and curls everywhere. She wipes her mouth with the back of her hand and stands up to pour him a finger of brandy before getting her own drink, curling up on his lap as they sit and talk.

 

Sunday is full of sex in all ways shapes and forms, from tender and passionate to fast and frantic, from Gwen sitting on the kitchen island as he drives into her to slow sensual sex in the poor against the steps. Blake touches Gwen every time with an air of desperation (during a particularly passionate moment with him on top of her in bed he actually murmurs, “ Please don’t leave me while i’m gone,” before hiding his face in her shoulder to prevent more words from coming out). She knows Blake’s afraid of what will happen when touring starts, knows (even though he doesn't say it) that he’s afraid she’ll do what Miranda did and distance herself from him with every performance.

 

Sunday night just before dinner and the kids arriving he has to lave for the airport to fly to Nashville to get his bus going, and he kisses all over her face with sullen forlorn eyes. He noses into his favorite spot in her neck, and kneels to bury his face in her stomach. She removes his ever present hat and rubs her fingers in his hair and he sighs, deep and bone weary. After a few second she stands with damp eyes (she doesn’t bring it up because he’d get embarrassed) and she stands on her tiptoes to put the hat back on his head, situating just right and fixing his hair behind his ears. He stares at her the whole time, his gaze rapt and slightly fearful.

 

She cups his face then, staring at him wide-eyed with conviction. “ I’ll see you when you get back,” She says firmly, and he nods even as he shoves his tongue in her mouth desperately like he’s trying to taste all of her he can before he leaves. But leave he does, and she allows a few tears to run down her face when she goes back inside. Before she thinks about it, she takes a selfie, still teary, and posts it on Twitter and tweets him with the hashtags #goberadcowboy and #loveyouallnightlong. The tweet blows up online and it only gets bigger when Blake retweets it with a blushing emoji.

 

They text and FaceTime and talk on the phone (and try to have phone sex but Gwen’s too embarrassed and ends up laughing and sets Blake off and pretty soon they’re both wiping tears of mirth from their eyes and they never end up having phone sex) and Gwen spends as much time with her kids as she possibly can and goes to tour rehearsals while the boys are at school and Apollo is with the nanny. Two and a half weeks into Blake’s tour, her phone jars her out a dead sleep at three a.m. The boys are asleep in their bedrooms and it’s a Tuesday, and Gwen rubs a hand over her face before squinting at the phone. It’s Blake, and she furrows her brow, turning on her lamp and putting on her glasses. She accepts the FaceTime call and in a couple of seconds his face appears on the screen. Its obvious he’s in his hotel room, and its also painfully obvious he’s drunk. His face is red and blotchy and his eyes are bloodshot, and his curls are all over, sticking up in every direction.

 

“ Hiya Darlin!” Blake slurs, giving her a bright grin. She crosses her arms (a little grumpy from  being woken up but a little concerned because she hadn’t seen Blake drunk in a long time). “ I miss you,” he says. Through the drawl and the slur, his words are barely comprehensible. She huffs, taking in his tired and stressed eyes; her worry increases.

 

“ I miss you too,” She says softly. He trails his eyes away and suddenly giggles, swaying on his feet a little.

 

“ I got tomatoey schtuff on the shirt you gave me,” He says, mock whispering. Gwen crooks an eyebrow.

 

“ What you mean spaghetti sauce? Smooth Blake,” She says dryly. Blake shakes his head in an exaggerated motion.

 

“No, when they threw the tomatoes at me they hit me. But don’t tell Gwen, she’ll be mad and she’s my angel and I can’t get my angel get upset,” Blake’s eyes fill with tears then, and although they’re drunken ones they still break Gwen’s heart a little. A couple run down his face but he still stares at her wide eyed, looking about six. Gwen swallows, wondering what the hell is going on. Suddenly, she hears the sound of the hotel room door opening, and hears Blake’s fiddle player Jaelynn’s voice.

 

“ Son of a bitch! I leave you alone for five minutes to go get meds,” Jaelynn says quietly, and she’s plucking the phone from Blake’s resisting hands in the next second, releasing a breath of relief when she sees Gwen on the screen. “ Oh thank gosh,” Jaelynn says, “ Thought for sure the dumbass was going to be posting a Twitter video or some shit.” Gwen sits up straighter in bed.

 

“ Jae what’s going on?” Gwen asks. Gwen sees Blake out of the corner of the idea flop on the bed, where he curls around a pillow and looks at the phone like Jae took away his teddy bear. Joe sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose.

 

“ Something sort of… happened,” Jae’s voice is weary and tired.

 

“ What?” Gwen asked, seeing by Jaelynn’s voice that it can’t be anything good. 

 

“Well,” Jae sighs, and she speaks quietly, “ The tour’s been going fine and then we got to Texas. We didn’t have time to explore like we usually do when we got to Dallas and so we had to go right to the venue,” Jae moves around the room as she talks, “ I don’t know how the hell they hid them when they were coming in because security checked everyone, but when he came onstage at the beginning of the show some people off to the side close to the stage threw tomatoes at him. The had these fucking posters that said CHEATER and LA SELLOUT.” Gwen’s mouth hangs open. “ They got thrown out, and you know Blake, he tried to make a joke of it, “ Jae continues. Gwen nodded. “ But then there were some of the other side and they had _rocks_ and FUCK OFF BLAKE posters.” Gwen shakes her head, totally astounded. “ One of the rocks almost hit him in the eye and he had to duck out of the way, and then another group at the bask started booing. He had to leave the show ten minutes in when security couldn’t get the crowd under control.” Gwen’s eyes are filled with concerned tears and she has a hand over her mouth. She knows how important Blake’s fans are to him; it must have gotten very bad for him to stop the show.

 

“ Oh my God Jae,” Gwen murmurs. Jae shakes her head.

 

“ That’s not the worst part, if you can believe it,” Jae says, shaking her head, “ We were packing up to go to Houston and all of a sudden the venue over there is calling us. There apparently was a big group of crazy people who threatened to shoot up his show because they claim he cheated on Miranda. The venues policy is to cancel the show for something like this and we didn’t have a choice.”  Gwen knows the truth, that Miranda cheated with two guys and broke Blake’s heart, and she shakes her head.

 

“ Holy fuck,” Gwen whispers. Jae nods bitterly.

 

“ Hence the drunk” Jae motions to Blake with her head,” He’s so upset. To top it off, the venue’s policy is to not tell them why the show was canceled and to not refund the tickets, and fans are sending nasty messages over Twitter already that he’s had to block. He’s trying to get his management company to let him refund the ticket money to fans out of his pocket, but it’s almost a million dollars and they’re hesitant,” Gwen nods. She sits up more, crossing her legs across the bed.

 

“ What are you guys gonna do until the show in Kansas City?” Gwen asks. Jaelynn sighs.

 

“ Well we’re not sure yet but i’m thinking we’ll probably head to Nashville for a couple of days just to hang out. God knows i’m not hanging out here, ‘specially not after the story breaks on TMZ in the morning.” Suddenly, there’s a large thump that causes Jaelynn to look away. Blake’s face is blocking Jae’s seconds later, and he beams when he sees Gwen over the phone, one eye closed and obviously half asleep.

 

“ Gwen!” He shouts, causing Jae to wince and shush him. Gwen focuses on her boyfriend.

 

“ Blake baby,” She says softly, her tone gentle and comforting, and even though he’s drunk off of his ass he blushes into his dimples when she calls him baby and it warms his heart. “ You need to sleep; can you do that?” Blake pouts and shakes his head even as he yawns. In the background, Jae is pulling back the sheets and situating the pillows, pulling out a few Tylenol and a Gatorade from the bags she brought in with her when she cam back to the hotel room.

 

“ Dun’t sleep well without you,” Blake slurs. With a long suffering sigh, Jaelynn is pulling the arm not holding his phone over her shoulders, steering him to the bed and sitting him down. She knees down out of sight then (probably to help him take off his boots) and Gwen strokes the phone absentmindedly like she would his face.

 

“ Could you try baby?” Gwen asks softly, biting her lip. Blake pulls off his zip up hoody in response and then his jeans (Gwen hears a ‘well that’s more of Blake than I ever wanted to see’ from Jaelynn and it almost makes her giggle). Blake rustles, laying down with his face below the phone which is held clumsily above his head.

 

“ Sing t’me,” Blake mutters, yawning. Gwen furrows her brow, not sure she heard him right.

 

“ What?” She asked. Blake yawned again, turning his head to the side and curling into the pillow.

 

“ Sing to me,” Blake repeated sleepily,” Dun’t care what. Your voice is so beautiful darlin’,” Gwen swallows around the lump in her throat. Even inebriated he’s so good to her. Swallowing, she asks him to hand Jaelynn the phone just for a second (he pouts but complies) and tells Jae thank you and that she had it from here. It’s not until the door shuts behind Jae that Gwen starts to sing.

 

_Lovers forever, face to face_

_My city your mountains,_

_Stay with me stay,_

_I need you to love me,_

_I need you today,_

_Give to me your leather,_

_Take from me my lace._

 

She barely gets through the chorus of one of their favorite songs before Blake is snoring softly, his face lax but with a little furrow between his brows that Gwen would give anything to get rid off. Gwen sighs and watches him for a few moments to insure he was deeply asleep before ending the call and sending him a text.

 

 ** _Call me when you’ve woken up please. I love you xoxoxo Gwen._** She shuts her phone off then, nestling back down under the covers and lacing her fingers over her stomach as she thinks. 

 

************************

 

It’s 10:30 LA time and Gwen’s getting out of an early morning rehearsal when her phone buzzes. she rubs a towel over her sweat drenched face and looks at the screen (she’d been inundated with texts and calls from everyone in Blake and Gwen’s life asking her about what happened in Texas). Seeing Blake’s face pop up (looking goofy in his profile picture as he stuck his tongue out) she hits Accept.

 

“ Hi,” She says softly, opening the passenger door of her SUB and throwing her gym bag on the seat.

 

“ Hi,” Blake’s voice comes through. He sounds like death warmed over, his voice pure miserable gravel. She walks around to the driver’s seat and gets in.

 

“ How’re you feeling?” Gwen asks, leaving her car off and leaning back in the seat. He groans in response; she winces because she can practically hear his headache over the phone. 

 

“ Like I got hit by a semi,” Blake growls, and she hears him mutter to someone away from the phone, “ Listen, Gwen, i’m so sorry,” he sounds ashamed and miserable, and she’s concerned even as she tilts her head in puzzlement.

 

“ What on earth for?” She asks.

 

“ For callin’ you drunk outta my mind, wakin’ ya up, worryin’ ya…” He trails off like he means to keep going but doesn’t have the energy in that moment.

 

“ Blake, “ She says softly, a little reproachfully, “ I’m here to support you. In anything you need, just like you support me. IF that means phone calls at three a.m. and singing you to sleep than that’s what it means. I’m just glad you’re ok and that you didn’t go to Houston. “ She doesn’t even want to think about the prospect of someone shooting him; it scares her too much. Over the phone, Blake sighs.

 

“ You’re wonderful, “ He murmurs, and she blushes, “ Who told you about Texas?” He asks.

 

“ Jae.” Gwen responds.

 

“ Also known as the person who dragged my drunk ass to the room.” Blake says, sighing. “ Hell, I owe her a car,” Blake sighs again, deep and weary. Suddenly, he inhales a breath. “ Oh my god I did make you sing me to sleep didn’t I?” He groans. “ Fuck Gwen, i’m sorry.”

 

“ Again, for what? “ Gwen asks, tapping her nails on the steering wheel. “ It was cute; you’re cute.” Blake chuckles, low and deep.

 

“ Well I try,” he says dryly. There’s a comfortable pause. “ The… worse part of all this is how much money the people spent in Houston to see me that they might not get back. “ Blake sighs again, and she deflates. That’s Blake to a tee, always concerned about everyone else. “ I… also wonder if everyone in country music is gonna hate me forever.” The words are mumbled half audibly into the phone, and from the way he sighs shakily Gwen can tell he’s been worrying about that longer than he’s told her.

 

“ Blake Shelton,” She begins, “ You are incredible. You’re selfless and kind and soulful and the best thing that ever happened to me.” She chokes up a little but pushes the tears down. “ The fans will understand, and you’re safe. That’s what matters,” She hears him inhale what might be a sniffle (and he would hate it if anyone but her saw him cry), so she lightens the mood. “ Besides, if country hates you, you can come be a rocker with Adam and I. We’ll get you, like, some tight leather pants and red lipstick and you’ll be good to go.” Blake laughs richly, the sound warming Gwen’s heart.

 

“ The day I wear leather pants is the day pigs fly,” Blake says dryly. Gwen grins.

 

“ Notice you didn’t say anything about red lipstick. Trying to tell me something, there?” She jokes, and Blake laughs again.

 

“ Darlin’, if I minded red lipstick on my face i’d haft stop kissin’ you, and I ain’t gonna do that for no one.” Gwen blushes at his worse, leaning back and slouching down a little in her car seat. She twirls a strand of ponytail around her fingers, biting her lip.

 

“ So, where are  you going to go until Kansas City?” Gwen asks.

 

“ Well, downtown Nashville has this charity concert happening for Save the Children so I got added to that,” Gwen grins; he’s amazing, “ We’re flying there in a couple hours to perform tomorrow afternoon at two. They’re gonna drive the bus up all night,” Blake coughs, moving his mouth away from the phone to talk to someone else. “ Listen Darlin’, I gotta go. They wanna know ‘bout which stuff goin’ on the plane and what’s goin’ on the bus,” Blake sounds regretful to hang up and she is too, but she gets it. Besides, an idea has been percolating in her mind since last night, and it’s a little crazy but oh-so-right. She needs time to scheme.

 

“ No problem,” Gwen responds, “ feel better and drink water, ok?” She says.

 

“ I will, “ Blake says, “ Love you darlin’.”

 

“Love you too,” Gwen responds, and they hang up. She stares into space for a moment, tapping her phone absentmindedly against her leg. She nods once to herself then, coming to a decision and pulling her phone back up to dial a number. “ Gavin? It’s Gwen. Listen, can you take the kids for the next couple days? I got invited to perform at this charity concert for Save the Children last minute.” She feels bad lying to him, but she’s not really because hopefully she’ll be able to get seamlessly added to the show (hey, she’s not Gwen fucking Stefani for nothing, and the show is a mix of pop and rock and country, so it should be relatively easy). It’s just that if Gavin knew that she was going to see Blake he’d never agree to take the kids. She listens for a moment, and nods, grinning, “ Great, thanks. I’ll drop them by tonight around seven ok? Bye.” Even as she hangs up, she thinks its the most civil conversation she’s ever had with her ex-husband, but she couldn’t take the time to appreciate it. She’s got _things_ to do.

 

*****************************************

 

Twelve hours later, as she sets her alarm for six a.m. the next morning to catch her flight to Nashville, she thinks about how easy it all was. A promise to let them put the song Gwen’s going to surprise Blake with on their charity DVD gets her into the show without a problem. A quick call to Jae to let her know what she’s planning takes care of making sure the rest of Blake’s band is ready for it even if Blake won’t be. The kids are at Gavin’s, and she’s canceled all her commitments for the next two days. Twenty minutes spent packing insured she packed a show outfit (jeans, the black cowboy boots Blake got her for Christmas, her came sweater and Blake’s favorite hat that Gwen liked to steal). She smiles widely when her phone buzzes with a text then and it’s Blake. The text says, **I wish you were here,** and she sends one back that says, _me too. two and half weeks and counting ;)._ It’s going to be a good couple of days, Gwen knows.

 

Miraculously, she manages to avoid the press in its entirity, getting to downtown Nashville that are shut off for the concert without a problem. As she steps backstage (the guard at the gate had nodded when he’d seen her and checked something off on his clipboard before waving her through. He’d said quietly that Mr. Shelton was in the first set of tents to her right so she was better off with ones farther away to the left to set her stuff and she’d smiled widely at the guard while doing as he suggested. She adjusts her hat, looking around nervously to make sure she doesn’t see Blake.

 

She’s never done anything like this before, and even though Blake will love it (she knows he will; he loves surprises especially romantic ones and he didn’t get enough of those while he was married, she knew) it’s still so public that it makes her a little uncomfortable. She lifts her bag off her shoulder, stepping into the rent that would serve as her dressing room for the afternoon. suddenly, her arms are full of a smiling Jaelynn, and she’s hugging her back tightly.

 

“ Omigod you’re here!” Jae’s midwestern accent came through loud and clear, and the twenty-nine year old practically bounced on her heels.

 

“ Hi!” Gwen says back enthusiastically. She breaks away to take out her large compact, giving her curled hair a fluff and dabbing at some oily spots on her face. She checks her red lipstick, moving her long hair to one shoulder.  “ So,” Gwen says as she touches up, “ How are things going?” She turns then to look at Jae, who’s already dressed for the show since Blake is performing first. Joe crosses her arms, leaning against one of the folding tables set up agains the tent with a sigh.

 

“ Blake’s sad about Texas and pretending not to be,” Gwen nods, she expected that, “ But he’s excited about this show, so that’s good.” Gwen nodded again. “ Apparently you bid on the DVDS before and during the show and bids doubled when they found out he was performing.” Gwen smiled. SHe’d seen a lot of shows, but Blake put on one of the most heartfelt ones she’d ever seen; he could really sing anything and his emotions always came through loud and clear. As a result, his shows usually sold out fast and it looked like this was no exception.

 

Suddenly, Jae’s phone buzzed and she looked down at it, taking a breath. “ Ook,” She said with her midwest twang, “ So what’s going to happen is that we’re going to let him get through the first verse and the chorus of ‘Gonna’ and they play out the instrumental break a little longer so Ryan Seacrest can introduce you. Then you guys will finish the song together; its up to you how much you want to duet versus singing individually,” Gwen nods at Jae’s words, having already planned that out. “ Gonna is the last song in our set of five so give it about fifteen minutes before you come stage right, no use in blowing this whole shebang before it even happens,” Gwen nods again, sitting in one of the chairs. Jae has to go then, and Gwen pulls out her phone as she leaves. Waiting a few minutes to hear Blake’s voice onstage (she missed it so so much), she takes a selfie with her hat on and her finger over her lips in the ‘shh’ gesture and posts it to Twitter.

 

 **I gotta secret. Tune in to @STC to bid on the DVD on @PBS in twenty. #donttellBlake #citygirlalittlebitcountry.** She taps her nails on the table then, making her way to the side stage right at fifteen minutes. She’s able to see Blake though he can’t see her, and she wants to melt on a puddle on the floor. He’s gorgeous, all sweat drenched curls flying gin the wind and grey-brown scruff and his favorite alligator boots. He’s wearing a black shirt with a few buttons open, and his shirtsleeves are rolled up to his elbows. she smiles at the sound techs as they hand her a mic and fit her with an earpiece, and she bites her lips as she watches her boyfriend. He winks at someone in the audience as he says something or other, and the women cheer. Gwen sighs in a way that’s probably mooning and thinks, ‘ He’s all man and all _mine.’_

 

“ Kay y’all, “

 

**_Begin Song_ **

 

 She tunes in to what Blake is saying, “ So to finish up my part of the show i’d like to play you one of my favorite songs. If you know it, sing along. If not, scream real loud and no one’ll know the difference.” The audience laughs and Blake grins through his water cup. He counts off the band and they start playing through the audience’s cheers. He bounces as he sings, and Gwen grins. He gets the audience singing along through the chorus and waving their hands in the air, and before long it’s the first instrumental break and she’s starting onstage with a huge grin.

 

“ Ladies and gentlemen,” Ryan starts, and Blake is furrowing his brow and taking his hands off his guitar in a ‘what the hell?’ gesture, “ For a surprise performance, please welcome Ms. Gwen Stefani!!” Gwen bounces onstage with all of her stereotypical enthusiasm, swaying her hips in that way she has.

 

As she sings the second verse, she looks right at him as she dances towards him while shaking her hips. He’s got one hand over his heart and ht either over his mouth when she first gets announced, and then he’s fidgeting like a little kid, laughing with his mouth open wide as his head is thrown back. As she sings the verse **_Kick it in the country_** she rubs a hand over his hat, and he beams at her, face brilliantly happy. She sides right up to him as she gets to the chorus, and motions for him to sing it with her. It’s a good thing they’ve got another guitarist playing Blake’s part (Gwen’s suggestion, she knew he’d be too excited to play), because his hands are nowhere near his instrument; instead resting on her hips as he moves his microphone off the stand and sings right to her.

 

She knows that the crew is filming and that the audience is going crazy, but all she feels is this made rush of adrenaline and the intoxicating smell of so close to her after too long away. She can tell he’s just as caught up, and he’s staring at her the whole song as she sways her hips into him with the beat.

 

As the final instrumental part is finishing, he’s saying into his microphone, “ Let’s give Gwen a good old Nashville cheer, y’all!” and the audience is erupting madly, and she laughs. The minute the last note finishes, she sets her microphone in the stand off to the side and then claps at him, smiling at him wide. She leans towards his mic to speak into it.

 

“ Blake Shelton guys, isn’t he great?” She asks, and he blushes, something she’s never seen him do onstage, before unplugging his guitar with frantic motions and handing it off to a stagehand. He ducks his head then and almost runs to her, practically barreling into her and pulling her into a tight hug.

 

She feels her feet lift up and she wraps her arms around his shoulders onto his hair. He does something then that surprises her. Instead of easily pushing his nose into the top of her head like he always does or resting his lips in the hair at the side of her face, he tucks his neck down to bury his face in where her neck met her shoulder. He squeezes her tight, and even though the position might be uncomfortable for him he doesn’t seem to take notice, just breathing.

 

The audience is still going wild and she’s a little embarrassed that their PDA is on tape, but after a few seconds something else catches her attention, because Blake is _crying into her neck._ It’s not sobbing, no, more like shaky inhaled and exhaled breaths with some tears mixed in with the sweat virtually rolling off of him, but nonetheless Gwen is shocked because Blake does not cry in public. Her hands tighten around him and she buries her lips into his ear to murmur soothingly at him, taking in his smell. She feels Blake sniffle, trying to pull himself together because he’s in front of TV cameras and one hundred thousand people, and he breaths her in one more time before breaking away. She sees him duck away to ostensibly wipe the sweat off of his face (but he take a surreptitious swipe at his eyes) and he purses his lips to exhale a breath, beaming out at her the next second and biting his lip. He cups her face then, pulling her hat off her head and putting it on his own with a wink (the audience goes nuts for that wink) before kissing her cheeks and pecking her lips with short, sipping little kisses. He keeps an arm around her was it and she can’t resist having a little fun with him. She reaches over to pull his mic off of his stand and speaks into it.

 

“ Say thank you to the nice people honey,” She says. The endearment slips out before she can stop it, and ‘Blake blushes hard, all smile, and rubs his hand over the back of his neck as he takes the mic to do what she asks. They leave the stage, hands clasped tight to more cheers. 

 

The minute they’re backstage and out of the way to Coldplay to perform, he’s sweeping her into his arms and kissing the breath out of her with frantic, desperate kisses. His hands are everywhere, mussing her hair and cupping her cheeks and running up and down her back. For a few minutes, she totally forgets about the fact that they’re in public and gives back as good as she gets, hands swimming under the back of his shirt to run her fingers over the sweaty small of his back, before reaching down to grasp the bottom of his ass (something that always made him a little crazy in bed and this was no exception as he groaned and his hips jerked into her). 

 

“ Why are you still wearin’ clothes?” Blake muttered, hands going to the bottom of her came shirt and staring to pull up. For a second she goes with it, starting to lift her arms above her head so she can take it off, when it suddenly hits her that they’re backstage, _outside, in public._ She squeals and pushes him away, and he looks dazed before realizing where they are and blushing harder than she’s ever seen from him. He puts a hand to his head, ducking a little, while Gwen looks around to see if their near groping was going to be on TV later (verdict: she didn’t think so, but there were some giggling young women who were obviously volunteers looking at them. She gave them her best angry mom glare and they stopped laughing immediately, one of them actually raising up her hands in the “surrender” gesture). Blake hugged her then, nosing his mouth into her hair. “ Holy shit it’s good to see ya,” He drawled into the side of her head, and she grinned and hugged him tightly. She pulled away enough then so she could look him in the eye.

 

“ Good surprise?” she teased, grinning flirtily. He swallowed, his eyes getting that emotion again like they had before he’d started crying into her neck onstage.

 

“ The best,” he looked right at her as he said it. She took his hand then, pulling him along to the car she’d rented, and took him to the penthouse suite of his favorite hotel that she’d rented out for the next couple of days.

 

**************

She jumped on him practically the second the door closed, and between the clothing coming off and Blake practically shoving Gwen on the bed before climbing on top of her with a growl that’s all man, between her leaving a large hickey on his neck right by his Adam’s apple (what she didn’t know is that all TMZ and the gossip sites would talk about for the next week would be the giant red mark on Blake’s throat that was very obvious without the makeup he’d refused to wear to cover it. They’d connected the dots and realized that the appearance of the mark coincided with Gwen surprising him, and the three days after that would be full of stories of how much of a sex panther she was. She’d shake her head and think that they’d said worse) and between him bringing her to such a powerful orgasm with his mouthing fingers that she’d actually blacked out for a second, they spend a very pleasant evening.

 

They nap (well, Gwen dozes while Blake is practically asleep the second her fingers start combing through his hair with his head in her stomach) and then they shower together, spending more time holding one another and exchanging tender kisses than actually getting clean. They’re kissing softy, more out of tenderness than lust, and the warm water gives the atmosphere a mystical feel as it pounds down on them. Gwen washes his hair for him, and he groans, bracing one hand against the wall while his eyes close. After she massages the conditioner out of his hair, she runs her nails lightly across his scalp, seeing him exhale a big sigh, his eyes re-closing. She looks up at him where he’s leaned back against the shower wall.

 

“ Do you want to talk about Texas?” She asks softly. He stiffens, eyes opening as he looks down at her. Her hands move through his hair again, and his eyes flutter and he groans under his breath.

 

“ Y’know I can’t concentrate when you do that,” He says to her, half smiling. She grins a little, moving his fingers out of his hair to tangle his hands with hers. He stares down at her for a second. “ What d’ya wanna know? “ he asks softly. She bites her lip, looking up at him.

 

“ How are you?” She asks softly. He trails his eyes up and down her body, grinning in a way she knows means, ‘great now that you’re here.’ She gives him a look she hopes he’ll interpret as, ‘ I don’t mean now you dork I mean what got so bad that you started crying in my neck onstage when you saw me.’ He sighs, getting the message, and swallowing.

 

“ The worst part was the booing,” He murmured. He cleared his throat and she played with his fingers, “ ’t was like none of the hard work i’ve done over the past few years made a difference.” She looks up at him, “ ‘nd. I was alone, again.” Its her turn to swallow through the lump in her throat. He hugs her to him tightly, burying his lips in the side of her wet hair. She cups his face, standing on her tippiest toes and supporting herself against his body as she gives him a gentle kiss.

 

“ You,” She kisses his cheek, nuzzling it with her nose,” Are not alone.” She cups his face, and they stare at each other like they’re the other’s world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all of the great comments! I will try to incorporate your ideas into future chapters; because we're done with the ones i've written already! There are some great Shefani stories in progress right now ( ahem Sottovoce Duvine's story, the Cowboy and Princess, and Coming Around Again ahem) and it makes me so excited. Keep writing everyone!


	3. Five Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three times Adam was there for Blake after his divorce, and two times Gwen was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this story is turning into a beast. I hope you don't mind. You also have a lot of time to write when you're sick in bed, so this is what happens. Greenfrogger requested a chapter dealing with when Blake was hurt by the divorce; so here you go :).
> 
> Just a friendly reminder, this is not real. This chapter contains serious mentions of cheating Miranda. If that bothers you, continue on past it! I have no idea if she cheated ( I personally think she did but hey thats just my opinion based on what I know) but we'll never know, so I get to take creative license like I did here.

**_One_ **

 

It’s almost two in the morning when the knock comes on Adam’s door. He’s having one of his bouts of insomnia and is scribbling down lyrics to a new song he’s thinking about, strumming an acoustic guitar to start to get the rhythm right, and he looks up in surprise. Someone knocking on his door unexpectedly is strange for a couple of reasons. First, in order to even get to the point of knocking on his door you had to know both the gate code to the neighborhood and the gate code to the gate outside his house (he hated the fact that even his house had to be gated but fans were crazy sometimes and after one too many times of them screaming how much they loved him in his yard he saw the need for extra security). As a result, he usually either knew that the person was coming and had given them the codes or they already knew them. And that list was small; very small. Second is the time. Although he’s a night owl and so are the rest of his band, he knew everyone else in Maroon 5 was on vacation in Belize (he couldn’t go because his Voice tapings started in three days and he was not about to make the flight all the way to Belize for just a couple of days; no thank you). Blake’s in Oklahoma or wherever he is that’s not LA, and Carson is a dad and a morning person and would never ever be up until two in the morning unless he absolutely had to be. 

 

Adam sets down the guitar on the couch in his living room and tiptoes towards the front staircase down to the door, trying not to wake Behati (his wife was strange; the sound of his music never ever woke her up but start walking around or opening a cabinet and she’d be awake in an instant. She never minded being woken up because she was just awesome like that but he still liked to be considerate). Midway towards the door, it hit him. Maybe he should call the _police_ or something. Because there was no reason for anyone to be knocking on his door, so that meant that he didn’t know the person. And holy shit it was probably a crazy fan that had gone through the trouble of finding out his gate codes. But that would be a lot of trouble. Sighing, he grabbed his phone off of the front table and a shoe in the other (in hindsight he would wonder why the hell he thought a shoe would protect him against an intruder but hey, it was two in the morning and he was tired and myopically focused on his music right now), walking towards the door with cautious steps. He opened it, and his mouth fell open.

 

Blake Shelton in all of his six foot five country glory was standing in front of him. Well, standing might be generous, because he was currently throwing up in Adam’s bushes, his frame bent over double. Miserable tears that probably came with vomiting fell down his face, and his face was red. Adam grimaced and leaned against the doorframe.

 

“ Lovely, man, seriously. You’re drunk off your ass, aren’t you?” Adam said, totally unimpressed as he crossed his arms. It had been happening more and more lately, especially anytime Blake talked to Miranda. To be quite honest, Adam was actually getting very concerned, because it seemed like Blake did more drinking than eating now and Adam hadn’t seen him go a day without some sort of alcohol. He’d been planning to talk to Blake about it when he saw him before tapings, to encourage him to either cut back or go to a rehab facility or something, but he guessed the time was now. 

 

Blake finished with a hacking cough and spit, standing with his knees bent and his hands braced on them. Slowly, exhaling a shaky breath he stood up. That’s when Adam got really concerned; because he looked horrible. His clothes were beyond wrinkled, and Adam could smell him from all the way over here. His curls, normally either perfectly coiffed for tapings or hidden under a hat, were flyaway and crazy, like he’d been running his fingers through them too much. His face was bright red, and he had tear tracks on his face that were from more than just the throwing up. His eyes were too bright blue, half from alcohol and half from something else that Adam couldn’t place yet. Blake stumbled towards him then, totally unable to walk straight. “ Hi,” Blake said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and setting his jaw.

 

“ Thought you were in Oklahoma with Miranda? ” Adam said immediately, widening his stance. Blake laughed then, but it was a harsh bitter laugh tinged with what Adam thought might be a sob. Blake crossed his arms then and then stuffed his hands in his pockets, head sinking and him slouching. He looked absolutely miserable. Adam’s concern went up.

 

“ No i’m not in Oklahoma,” Blake drawled, his voice a little slurred and bitter. Adam stepped out of the doorframe and walked over to his friend, taking him by the arm.

 

“ Well come in then; bad enough you were puking in my bushes don’t see the paps seeing it too,” Adam said quietly, pulling Blake along. Blake went willingly, dragging his feet along the gravel leading up to Adam’s front stoop. Adam led him inside, shutting the door behind him. Blake, who usually immediately toed off his boots and made himself at home in Adam’s house by cuddle attacking Adam’s dogs or telling Behati how pretty she looked (and Adam liked it when his friends were close enough to him to do it, it made him feel good) stood in the doorway, hands stuffed in those pockets and head still hung. He dug his toe into the front rug a little, and he looked in that moment like a lost little boy. Adam moved then to give him a hug as was their usual (because Blake loved hugs and affection; and Adam knew Miranda wasn’t much for affection and so he indulged Blake whenever he could because everyone needed hugs), but Blake pushed him away forcefully right as Adam started to get his arms around the taller man. Adam made a noise of surprise and crossed his arms again, narrowing his eyes. “ Alright, what’s going on?” Adam asked. Blake blew out a shaky breath and didn’t say anything, just started walking towards Adam’s kitchen. Adam scrambled after him, taking note of the fact that Blake _didn't even take off his boots_ (Blake was one of the most considerate people Adam had ever met and he always always took off his shoes when he came into Adam’s house to protect his hardwood floor; for him not to was almost more worrying than for him to reject Adam’s hug). 

 

“ Don’t ya have any booze in this place?” Blake said, opening and slamming shut the cabinets. Since he’d seen Blake last he’d gotten a liquor cabinet, a fancy temperature controlled thing that lived in the hallway, but he wasn’t going to tell Blake that. He walked up to where Blake was slamming the cabinet above the stove yet, putting his smaller hand on the country singer’s over the door.

 

“ No booze dude. “ Blake avoided his eyes when Adam tried to meet them, “ Now, wanna tell me what the fuck is going on?” Adam asked, patient but firm. Blake’s hand curled into a fist on the cabinet, his other in his pocket. He broke away from Adam then to walk into the living room instead, flopping down on his couch and bracing his hands on his knees as he stared at the floor.

 

“ Nuthin,” Blake said roughly, his voice hoarse. Adam sat down next to him (a little too close but then again they always sat a little too close, that was just their relationship). “ Hey,” Blake drawled, and Adam made a noise. “ D’ya know of any realtors in LA?” Adams brow furrowed. He was so confused.

 

“ Well sure, but, Blake w—“ Blake interrupted him. 

 

“ Good, ‘cause I need to sell the house here. Will you write them down for me? I’ll call ‘em in the morning,” Blake’s voice was blank, with no emotion. Adam crossed his arms, suddenly a little angry.

 

“ No. No,” Blake’s hands clenched from where they were on his knees, “ I’m not doing a fucking thing until you tell me what the fuck is wrong with you. You didn’t come here at two a.m. to ask me about realtors,” Adam said firmly. Blake slouched, releasing a huge breath and looking at the floor.

 

The room was silent for a few seconds before Blake spoke. “ ‘Ran and I are gettin’ a divorce,” Blake huffed out, his voice hoarse. For his part, Adam was surprised but not really. To be completely honest (and he’d never ever said this to Blake because you just didn’t say that about a person’s wife) Adam had never liked Miranda. Although her and Blake had a lot in common on the outside, on the inside they were totally different people. Miranda was a little bit cold and a tiny bit rude and loved to party more than Blake did. Their entire relationship seemed to revolve around Blake doing whatever Miranda wanted so she didn’t get mad at him. Adam can’t remember how many times he’s seen Blake subvert his own desires and wishes to please Miranda (like the baby thing; Adam and Gwen had both seen the way Blake had cradled Apollo in his arms when Gwen had had to use the restroom unexpectedly and shut his eyes like it hurt to look at him, even as his large hands were running over the baby’s back to soothe him), but it had been a lot. Adam had watched Blake sink into a pile of alcoholic misery over the past year, and he would bet that it was because of Miranda. Adam knew the two of them had seen each other for maybe three months out of the entire year in total, and that had been in small spurts and quick trips. Adam knew Blake loved and craved affection, and knew even though Blake had never said it, that he longed for one of those relationships where his partner couldn't keep from touching him, even in public and even if it was just a hand on the small of his back or entangling their fingers as they walked.

 

“ Blake, dude,” Adam began, and Blake looked up towards the wall. Adam got his first look at his eyes. They were tear filled and miserable. Blake clenched his jaw hard, and his hands tightened over his knees.

 

“ I…” Blake cleared his throat, “ I went to surprise her in Nashville this afternoon, ‘cause I had a few days and we haven’t seen each other in months. I figured she’s gonna be excited, right?” Blake said quietly, and although Adam didn’t necessarily agree with him (Miranda didn’t get excited about much, and that was another difference between them because sometimes Blake was like an overactive lab puppy), he nodded. “ So, I walk into our house ‘cause I figure she’s at rehearsal and won’t be back till around three like she usually is. T-that’s when..” Blake swallows, “ I hear them. Miranda’s fucking him on the living room couch that I bought for her right out there in the open with their clothes everywhere.” Adam’s mouth hangs open. He actually went to pick out that couch for Miranda with Blake, and although Blake had fallen in love with a soft black suede thing that you sunk into he’d gotten a cream colored firm one because he thought Miranda would like it better. Adam can’t help it then, because he’s touchy too. He puts an arm on Blake’s slouched back, rubbing up and down. Like this, he can feel Blake trembling. 

 

“ What happened then?” Adam asked quietly,  because Blake’s the type that needs to share otherwise he’ll wallow in his misery and a bottle of booze. Blake swallowed heavily.

 

“ They saw me, and they scrambled for their clothes. I told her i’m gonna be asking for a divorce, and then I left. Din’t even bring my bag with me,” Blake’s voice is wrecked. Adam rubbed up and down his back, and Blake shuddered.

 

“ Who was it?” Adam asked softly. Blake laughed a bitter laugh. 

 

“ Another country singer. D’ya know Sam Hunt?” Blake said quietly. Adam nodded; he’d met the man once or twice and wasn’t particularly a fan, as he was all frat boy arrogance and macho man coldness. “ Which meant that lots’a people had to know ‘bout it, ‘cause no one can keep a secret around there, and no one said anything to me.” Blake’s voice hitched. Adam rubbed his back, and Blake shuddered again before trying to shrug it off. Adam wouldn’t let him.

 

“ How’d you get here?” Adam asked gently. Blake laughed bitterly again.

 

“ Took a fuckin’ commercial flight. Had to pay the flight attendant five hundred to let me get in first class drunk,” Blake said. He shuddered again, shoulders trembling. “ Oh god Adam, what’m I gonna do?” His voice petered out on a whine.

 

“ You’re going to stay here until you figure things out, that’s what you’re going to do.” Adam said firmly. Blake looked at him then, a grateful expression on his features even as they were full of pain. He wrapped both arms around Blake now, trying to hug him. Blake tried to move away.

 

“ Adam, i’ll fall apart, don’t,” was Blakes whispered plea. Adam squeezed tighter.

 

“ Well then fall apart. I gotcha,” Adam said softly. It took a few seconds, but Blake’s trembling grew stronger, and his shoulders heaved, and he began sobbing. It wasn’t nice quiet sobbing or soft sniffles, but it sounded full of pain, like an animal had been killed. Blake practically toppled on top of him then, burying his head in Adam’s shoulder as he cried and cried. Adam met his strength with strength, squeezing him as tightly as he could manage as he rocked them back and forth slightly. 

 

Out of the corner of his eye then, Adam saw Behati coming down the stairs, sleep rumpled with a concerned expression on her face. She started to open her mouth with wide eyes as she took in the scene, but Adam shook his head and put a finger to his lips. Behati nodded, turning around and walking back up the stairs without a word. 

 

Blake’s sobs went on for probably half hour until they tapered off into soft sniffles, Blake taking heaving breaths in and out as he tried to bury himself in Adam’s arms. Adam scratched his nails lightly over Blake’s back, and Blake sighed miserably into Adam’s shoulder. 

 

It was only when Adam thought Blake might start to push him away himself that he pulled away, taking in Blake’s red tearstained face with snot dripping down his nose. He grabbed a tissue from the side table, handing a few to Blake. Blake blew his nose, crumpling the tissue in his fist as he took in Adam’s tear dampened shirt. “ Fuck i’m sorry,” Blake said, voice totally wrecked. Adam rubbed a hand into Blake’s hair, shaking his head.

 

“ Seriously dude, don’t worry,” Adam said gently. Blake looked at him, shoulders still heaving, and nodded once. “ How about that drink?” Blake looked grateful. They’d worry about alcohol consumption tomorrow.

 

**_Two_ **

 

It had taken a couple of days for Adam to arrange everything. Blake had been absolutely no help; he’d slept until three p.m. the night after he got to Adam’s and he’d lain in Adam’s guest bed until dinner, refusing any food Adam brought him. Adam had finally gotten in the bed with him after dragging him into the shower to wash away the stink, bringing his laptop and turning it on to a mindless action movie with no romantic subplot. He’d used the small screen as an excuse to cuddle close to Blake, and he’d wrapped his arms around him and manhandled Blake’s face onto his chest (it might have been weird for anyone else but he and Blake just had that kind of friendship; they didn’t talk about it or bring it up because that would make the embarrassment at acting distinctly non-manly worse). Blake had let out a shuddering sigh and nosed into Adam’s shirt, knuckles white from gripping the white material. He’d been asleep thirty minutes later; and Adam had ended up falling asleep too with him after sitting through the entire movie, laptop falling off of his lap and onto the carpeted floor. Adam had been woken up by Beat’s lips on his forehead in goodbye as she left for Moscow for a show, and he’d smiled and murmured I love you to her soft enough not to wake Blake. She’d smiled and stroked his cheek, murmuring it back, and left.

 

The next day, Blake was just simply quiet. From a man who usually talked a mile a minute, this was almost more concerning than him being angry. He pet Adam’s dogs and fed them and spent a lot of time on his phone with his people and his lawyers and his realtor, and went out to Adam’s balcony to stare out into space for hours. Adam had been a little desperate over things to cheer his best friend up, until it had finally hit him when he watched Blake stroke Charlie’s fur absentmindedly as he sat on one of Adam’s balcony chairs. Charlie was nearly apoplectic with joy, and Blake had smiled a little (a small one that wasn’t very full of life but still). Adam had closed the balcony door then and had gotten on his phone, dialing a number he had in there but hardly ever used. 

 

“ Hello?” the Texas twang on the other end said hesitantly. Adam fiercely pushed down his desire to totally ream out Blake’s soon to be ex-wife, and took in some yoga breaths. Calm. Calm of course and then he’d get what he wanted.

 

“ Look,” Adam said tensely, “ I know everything that happened and quite frankly I don’t want to fucking talk about it. All i’m calling for is Betty. I want to bring Betty here.” There’d been silence on the other end.

 

“ Adam I don’t think that’s gonna work,” Adam saw red, “ ‘Sides, Blake and I ‘ll get back together soon anyways.” Adam laughed bitterly.

 

“ You’re fucking serious right now?!” Adam said, barely restraining himself from yelling. He took in another deep breath. “ Look, I don't want to go there, and i’m not going to talk to you about this. I want Blake’s dog. You know she’s Blake’s favorite; you’ve got a billion others. Don’t make me get my lawyers involved.” He made his voice icy, “ and I will. I’ve got more money than you, and I will spend every cent of it to make sure that dog is in LA with Blake where she belongs.” Miranda had agreed shakily (he knew she was probably hurting too and maybe regretted what she did but Adam could’t be fucked to care, at this point), and Adam had hung up. He’d called his people and arranged for Betty to be shipped to California (at this point the dog was going to fly fancier than Adam did but it was worth it to hopefully take the lost little boy look out of Blake’s eyes). A day later, it had been done.

 

Adam had left Blake at his house with the excuse of going to get them lunch ( Blake had shaken his head when Adam asked him if he wanted anything and Adam had said he was going to get him a fucking salad if he didn’t tell the pop singer what he wanted. Blake shrugged, and Adam decided to get him a steak), and had picked up Blake’s hyperactive dog, who whined happily when she’d seen Adam. They’d driven through a take out place and Betty had gotten a burger with nothing on it (the dog was so spoiled), and Adam had pulled up to his house, opening the front door with the bags in one hand and Betty on his heels. 

 

“ Blake?” He’d said, setting the bag down on the counter and telling the dog to sit. “ I have somethin’ for you,” He said absentmindedly. Blake had shuffled into the front entryway, arms crossed.

 

“ Adam I said I didn't want anything to eat…” he said as he played on his phone. He looked up then, and his eyes widened. “ Betty?!” He said, a little bit of wonder in his voice. Betty, for her part, was doing everything she could to lean over to Blake while still obeying Adam’s order to sit (Blake had trained her well), her tail wagging madly. Adam smiled softly at Blake. 

 

“ She’s yours.” Blake’s mouth had opened before he’d motioned to Betty and practically collapsed on the floor, burying his face in his dogs fur as Betty jumped all over him. Blake had sniffled into her head, petting her all over. As he watched Blake’s shoulders shake a little with a teary smile on his face, Adam began to think that Blake would be ok one day.

 

 

Blake was standing after a couple of minutes and pulling Adam into a tight hug, murmuring “ Thank you, thank you, thank you,” over and over again. He’d laughed a little (a real laugh, not one of the fake ones he used for the cameras) when Betty had nearly knocked his knees out from under him with her body.

 

**_Three_ **

 

Adam wasn’t surprised it had happened given how much stress Blake had been through over the past few months. He knew from knowing Blake for three years that he didn’t get sick often, but when he did he went down hard, and this was no exception.

 

It had started the night before. Blake, whose energy had picked up since Betty had come, had simply collapsed on the couch next to Adam one night with his dog in his lap. He’d rubbed his forehead like it was aching, and Adam had looked over to him, taking a second glance after seeing him. The taller man was pale and a little clammy, his eyes fever bright blue and his whole body trembling. 

 

“ You alright?” Adam had said, and Blake had hesitatingly nodded.

 

“ Yeah; just dun’t feel right,” Blake mumbled, putting his feet up on the coffee table. He’d absentmindedly petted Betty’s fur and gone to bed around 8:30, also surprising Adam. When Adam had gotten up around 9 the next morning, Blake was still in bed. Adam had gone to check on him, and found Blake bent over the toilet, absolutely heaving his guts out. 

 

“ Dude, you ok?” Blake had shaken his head, going green as he looked up at Adam before heaving again. His body had been covered in sweat and his face was pale and clammy. He looked like death warmed over.

 

“ ‘m sick,” Blake had mumbled after he’d flushed, resting his head on the closed toilet seat. Adam had grimaced a little and felt Blake’s forehead. It was burning up. Adam winced and rifled through his medicine cabinet, getting some fever medication and some more to control nausea before practically forcing them down Blake’s throat. He manhandled Blake into the shower (throughout Blake’s depression period he’d seen him in all stages of undress; it didn't even bother him anymore. What did, though, were the way the pounds were rapidly falling off the country singer’s frame. Probably because he didn’t eat and barely drank water). While Blake was in the shower, Adam changed the sweat drenched sheets on Blake’s bed, pulling out a pair of pajamas for the taller man to get into. He put a bucket next to Blake’s bed and got a bottle of water and a bottle of Gatorade, setting them on the nightstand. 

 

Twenty minutes later, Blake was still in the shower. Adam knocked on the bathroom door. “ Dude, in two seconds i’m comin’ in there because I hope you didn’t drown yourself! I really don’t wanna see your naked ass, so come out.” Adam had crossed his arms and after a few seconds, opened the door. Blake was braced against the shower wall, water running down him. It was obvious he was crying, by shaking shoulders and screwed up face. Adam grimaced sympathetically, reaching in to turn off the shower and hand Blake one of his big fluffy towels. “ Come on buddy, let’s get you to bed.” Blake heaved, his shoulders shaking as he wiped the heels of his hands over his eyes. He blindly followed Adam letting him get him dressed and into the bed. Without a word, Adam got in too, curling around him. Blake trembled, sniffing in miserable breaths. 

 

“ ‘ll get sick, “ Blake mumbled, even as he leaned back against Adam with a sigh, “ ‘Ran always stayed away from me when I got sick; didn’t wanna get it,” Adam shushed him, rubbing over his shoulder blades.

 

“ I got the immune system of a robot dude; i’ll be fine.” Blake huffed out a little laugh.

 

“ What the hell you talkin’ about?” Blake mumbled. Adam shook his head.

 

“ I don’t even know. Go to sleep, dude.” Blake curled down then, hands between his thighs, and did as Adam suggested. 

 

**_Four_ **

 

Adam had come across them when he got home late from a band rehearsal. He’d toed off his shoes in the entryway next to Blake’s boots, when he noticed a pair of female shoes. “ What the hell?” Adam muttered, because Blake hadn’t talked to anyone except Adam for non-business reasons in a long time (he’d told his other friends nothing about why him and Ran were getting a divorce just that they were; he said he didn’t want to involve anyone in country music in this. Adam thought it was stupid but supported him).  Blake had almost cut out alcohol entirely since he came to stay with Adam (he said one night that he didn’t want to wake up anymore not remembering what happened the night before and Adam had hugged him gratefully, because _finally_ ) so they probably weren’t some random woman Blake had taken home in a drunken stupor (because his pick up game was not good when he was sober; he was too direct and a lot of women liked a little give and take first), and Behati was still in Moscow. So whose shoes were they? They were tall high heels, but fuck if Adam knew the brand (they had red soles and that meant something, Adam knew, he just didn’t know what). 

 

Puzzled, Adam listened for noises of passionate sex (granted, he was going to have to bleach his brain if he heard them, but hey he could at least get out of his house before he _saw_ anything). Nothing except the soft sounds of the television in his living room. Adam followed the sound of the television to his living room, walking slowly and hesitatingly. He stopped full stop when he saw what was on the couch.

 

Blake was sprawled over the squishy material, fast asleep, his arms wrapped around Gwen fucking Stefani. He was in comfortable jeans and a plaid shirt, and it was obvious he hadn’t meant to fall asleep like this from the sounds of the movie in the background (Singing in the Rain; must have been Gwen’s choice because Blake never would have watched something like this). Sprawled across his chest between his spread legs, also stretched out, was an asleep Gwen, dressed in boyfriend jeans and a black tank top with a blue bra. Her hair was up in a messy bun, and her feet were bare. Her face was tucked into Blake’s chest, and one arm was wrapped around his waist down under his back while the other was thrown above by his neck.

 

Adam was shocked, and yet not really. Because he knew that Blake and Gwen had gotten along like a house on fire from the moment they first met. He knew that Blake had an innocent little crush on her (it so happened that the beginning of the crush coincided with the beginnings of the end of Blake’s shitty marriage), and that Gwen probably also had a crush on him (no one laughed like that or looked at someone like that unless they did). He knew they’d been spending time together talking about the changes in their lives, he’d seen them go for lunch breaks and leave together at the end of the night and Blake had always come back late, looking weary but a little less sad with each night he spent with her. He knew Blake had sent her flowers during the last taping and they’d hugged too much to be platonic, and he’d watched as Gwen brought him chocolate to spur his appetite (it had worked and Blake had eaten the whole box while Gwen had looked on approvingly) and made jokes about how sweet he was.

 

Gwen stirred then, and looked around in shock for a second before smiling widely at where she found herself. She nuzzled into Blake’s neck, a happy sigh escaping her, before she noticed Adam standing there. A guilty expression came over her features, and she slowly slithered out of Blake’s arms, staring into his closed eyes as a furrow came over his brow. She followed Adam into the kitchen then, crossing her arms over her stomach.

 

“ Hi,” she said bashfully, looking down at the floor. Adam giggled a little under his breath; she looked terrified.

 

“ Gwen you’re acting like i’m gonna eat you. Stop,” he said jokingly. Her shoulders slumped and she laughed a little under her breath. She looked at her watch then, and her eyes widened.

 

“ Shit, I gotta go, I gotta interview tomorrow at seven and it’s already midnight,” She said, walking quickly over to her shoes. Adam followed her, touching her on the arm.

 

“ Look, Gwen,” Gwen blushed then, looking at the ground.

 

“ Adam if you’re going to tell me to stay away from your best friend, then…” She trailed off, even as he shook his head.

 

“ No, no i’m not going to do that. It’s just…” Adam decided to tell her, “ Look, Blake’s had a crush on you since he met you. And you’re both going through tough times right now, and Blake doesn’t do flings, “ Gwen blushed and smiled when he said Blake had a crush on her. She fidgeted.

 

“ I don’t do flings either, Adam. I’ve had two boyfriends. And besides, nothing’s like, happened yet. We talked and fell asleep in front of the T.V. That’s all, “ She was firm, and Adam believed her. She grabbed her phone and her purse, opening the front door. She started to walk through it, but then she turned around and hugged him briefly, murmuring, “ Thank you for being there for him.” Adam shrugged at her as she broke away. She turned towards the door again, walking out onto the front stoop. “ I had a crush on him from the, like, second I met him too you know?” She blushed as she said it, and Adam couldn’t help his smile. 

 

“ Yeah?” Adam said, feeling a little gleeful.

 

“ Yeah.” Gwen said, shutting the door behind her.

 

**_Five_ **

 

It was bound to happen sooner or later, Adam knew. He’d watched Blake and Gwen flirt heavily with each other for a month now, all through the blind auditions and into the tapings for the battles. He’d watch them hug too long and watched Blake trace Gwen’s form with his eyes and watch Gwen blush when Blake called her beautiful. He’d watched with every smile from Gwen as some of the emptiness in Blake’s eyes disappeared. 

 

The fact that it finally happened at a Voice party was just bad luck, as far as Adam was concerned. Both Gwen and Blake were fiercely private people, so they didn’t often tell too many people about their personal lives, and the fact that everyone in the Voice crew found out on the same night embarrassed them both. They were at a low-key club (one with soft jazz music and crooners instead of a rave), all sipping on glasses of wine or champagne and talking. Some people were swaying together on the dance floor, while some stood around the high top tables that littered the room. There were also booths, where both Blake and Adam sat, knees pressed together as Blake sipped slowly on a vodka tonic (he’d started drinking again but totally in moderation, which Adam was perfectly okay with). Adam was looking at his phone, responding to an embarrassingly mushy text from his wife, when he heard Blake inhale hard. He looked up, brow furrowed to his friend, and followed Blake’s eyes. 

 

Gwen was walking towards them, and even though Adam was happily married and didn’t think of her that way, she was a vision. Dressed in a red sparkly knee length sheath with a jeweled low collar, she wore minimal lipstick and eye makeup. Her hair was curled long around her face, and she had her black Louboutins on (Adam had finally figured out where the hell the red sole had come from). She smiled at Blake, a wide one that made Blake fidget when he saw it was directed at him, before holding out her hand.

 

“ Wanna dance cowboy?” She asked softly, biting her lip. Even though Blake wouldn’t usually be caught dead dancing in public (although Adam knew he had a decent sense of rhythm), he nodded while biting his own lip and took Gwen’s hand. They made their way out on the dance floor, and Gwen had looked up at Blake with a look that Adam could only describe as adoration as she brought one arm to wrap around his neck. One of his hands entwined with hers and his other arm came around her waist, pulling her a little too close, his hand right on the small of her back. Gwen tucked her face into his neck, and they danced. Blake, for his part, nosed into her hair softly, sighing a heavy breath that Adam could see through his shoulders even from where he was. 

 

Halfway through the song, Adam made out through the dim lighting that Gwen was nuzzling her nose into his neck, brushing it with soft kisses. Blake had bitten his lip and leaned down into it, his hand curling a little over the small of her back. He’d broken the hand away then that was holding onto hers and cupped her chin, lifting her head. They nuzzled their noses together, obviously totally caught up in each other, before their lips gently met in a feather soft kiss.

 

 

People had started to notice now, and Pharell was staring at them with wide eyes while Carson mouthed something to his wife. The couple didn’t notice, as Blake had deepened the kiss, wrapping both arms around her waist and pulling her to him with a groan as he very obviously stuck his tongue in her mouth. She ran her fingers over his hair, giving as good as she got. That’s when things started to get really heated, and Adam intervened.

 

He sauntered over to the two of them, clapping Blake on the shoulder. Blake startled, breaking away from Gwen’s lips with a pop before realizing where they were and blushing a deep red. Gwen did the same, biting her lip and looking away from them. “Might wanna take it off the dance floor, guys,” Adam said jokingly, trying not to make a big deal out of it, “ I’m getting jealous; you took my man,” Adam joked at Gwen. Gwen laughed then, putting a hand over her mouth, and Blake smiled into his dimples, watching her. Adam winked at both of them then before going to sit back down, but not before he saw Blake entwine his fingers with Gwen’s and slowly lead them outside. A few minutes later, he felt his phone buzz, and he drained his drink as he looked at it; it was from Blake.

 

 **Thank you from both of us.** Adam smiled, typing back.

 

_You’re welcome._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are everything! Thank you for your ideas!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Kingston has a medical crisis while Gwen's on tour, how will Blake come through for Gwen?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on fire tonight, so here's another chapter! On a technical note, never having been a doctor or been admitted to the hospital (knock on wood) I have no idea if a person can give another person the power to make medical decisions over the phone. For the sake of this story, let’s just assume they can, ok?

Blake’s finishing off the remains of his steak salad and settling down watch a football game in his house when he gets the call. He’s sipping at his sweet tea (Gwen was a tea fanatic and by god if she hadn’t gotten him hooked on it too except he always had it Southern style whereas she usually had it without the sugar) and placing his feet on his coffee table, leaning back. He’s exhausted, bored, and a little lonely. Gwen’s been on her tour for a month and a half now, and he misses her like a limb that’s been cut from his body. He misses her laughter and her constantly touching him and her blonde hair in his shower and the way she fell asleep at the drop of a hat. This will be her only tour for the next couple of years though (she’d called him a week ago and told him that; he’d asked her why and been supportive even though he was secretly cheering) because she thought it was too hard on the kids for her to be gone so much (and it was also hard on him, but she didn’t say that and neither did he), so he was the supportive boyfriend who respected his girlfriend’s career and encouraged her every chance he could get. He’d tried to get out to see one of her shows, maybe to even surprise her like she had him that day in Nashville, but he’d been too busy. Between Voice tapings for Season 10 and interviews everything else, he hadn’t had time, and it was killing him. They’d talk on the phone at least once a day and text and Twitter flirt up a storm, but it just wasn’t the same as having her with him. He’d longed for so many years for a partner who loved affection and cuddling and being sweet just like he did; now he had it and she was off being awesome.

 

The feeling of his phone buzzing from his pocket pulls him out of his slightly forlorn reverie. He debates not answering it, wanting nothing more than to watch the game and then go to bed early, but decides to see who it is. He furrows his brow when he sees Gwen’s nanny’s name on the screen ( Gwen had given Rosa Blake’s number and vice versa before she’d left, ‘for emergencies’ she’d said. It hadn’t been used yet). Blake quickly picks up. “ Rosa? What’s the matter” He says. The din on the other end of the phone is huge. He hears Apollo crying and some thumping, along with the sound of the television and the noise of the city. 

 

“ Ay Señor Shelton, no conozco que hacer; Kingston es infirmado y no puedo hablar a Señor Rossdale, y no conozco—“ Rosa’s voice comes in rapid Spanish, and Blake has no idea what she’s saying even as he’s concerned.

 

“ Rosa!” He finally said, interrupting her. She fell silent, “ Stop speaking Spanish, “ he said gently, “ Because if i’m gonna help we gotta do it soon, and I don’t speak Spanish,” He injected a little levity into the conversation, and he hears Rosa chuckle a little. He hears the fifty year old woman sniffle, and his brow furrows more.

 

“ Lo ciento Mr. Shelton, it’s just I don’t know what to do,” Rosa’s heavily accented voice comes through, a little teary. Blake stands up then, his phone attached to one ear by his shoulder while he grabs his keys and his jacket.

 

“ Rosa what’s happened?” He asks, throwing his plate in the sink. 

 

“ It’s Mr. Kingston, Mr. Shelton. He… started vomiting a few hours ago; and I a thought it was just the… um how do you say it.. the flu? So I gave him medicine and put him in bed. He woke up minutes ago crying from the pain in the…. “ Rosa is obviously searching for the English word, “ bottom part of his stomach, you know?” Blake knows exactly what she’s talking about, and he has a feeling he knows what the matter is too (he remembers going through this with his sister when she was fifteen and Blake was twelve). “ He is in.. ehm.. much pain and I don’t know what do!” Rosa’s voice went teary again, and Blake opened his front door, speeding down his sidewalk to his car. 

 

“ Where’s Gavin?” Blake asked, hopping into his car. Rosa sniffles.

 

“ He is out for the evening and not getting back to my calls,” Rosa said. Blake slams his car door shut once he’s inside, rubbing at his hair under his hat before readjusting it. 

 

“ Ok,” Blake lets out a breath. As tempting as it is to panic along with Rosa, he can do this. Blake purposefully makes his voice soft and calm. “ Rosa, to me it sounds like he has appendicitis. He needs to go to the hospital. I’m going to come pick him up and take him there. I’ll be there within ten minutes,” Blake had purposefully picked a house close to Gwen’s when he decided to move here pretty much permanently; he’ll never forget the look on Gwen’s face when he’d walked them over to his house from Gwen’s. She’d thrown her arms around him and nuzzled against his face, and he’d laughed as she joked about christening the house. Besides, even though he’d never consider LA home, he’d grown to like it. Probably because of the blonde angel that made his days that much better, but he’d take liking LA where he could get it. Blake continues talking to Rosa on the phone as he’s driving (he hopes there are no cops around because he’s definitely breaking about a dozen traffic laws, including talking on his cell phone), “ I’m gonna take him to Cedars Sinai. Can you follow us there with Apollo and Zoom?” Rosa mutters a shaky _sí._  

 

Fifteen minutes later, he has a crying Kingston in the car. The little boy is stretched out across the bench seat, vomiting every once in awhile into a trash can Blake had procured from Gwen’s house. He’d had to lift the little boy into his car and he winced with concern as Kingston cried out in pain, clutching the lower part of his abdomen. He’d murmured soothing words to the boy; telling the younger two that it would be alright and that he’d see them at the hospital before putting Kingston gently in his SUV. He sped like a maniac all the way to Cedars Sinai, chewing at his lip as he checked out Kingston periodically in the car.

 

He pulls up to the emergency entrance of the hospital and practically runs inside with the nine year old, finding a nurse immediately.

“ Hey, he’s really sick!” Blake bit out, his face concerned as he cradled Kingston. The nurse looked at him and then at Kingston, going into business mode immediately.

 

“ Tell me how sir,” She said calmly.

 

“ He’s been throwin’ up for a few hours and he has a lot of pain over his abdomen,” Blake said, a little out of breath still. The nurse nods, looking at the little boy.

 

“ Ok, let us take him from you and we’ll get him checked out, ok?” Blake reluctantly relinquished his hold on the little boy after they brought out a stretcher and a few other nurses, and they wheeled Kingston over to an examination room as Blake followed. He paced back and forth as they palpated his abdomen, and made a sound of dismay when Kingston cried out when they touched his lower right stomach by his hip. He clenched his hands into fists, beginning a mantra to himself, _they’re trying to help him, not hurt him. Don’t go all papa bear now._ He repeated it to himself as they quickly got bloodwork, and the doctor on staff looked at it before looking up at the country singer. There was no recognition there, and Blake silently exhaled a sigh of relief. That’s all he needed right now.

 

“ Mr…” The doctor began, waiting for a name.

 

“ Shelton,” Blake said, and the doctor nodded again.

 

“ Ok Mr. Shelton, well it looks as if we predicted right and your little boy here has appendicitis. Luckily, we caught it before it burst, so the surgery should only take a couple hours and he’ll be right as rain in a week, ok?” Blake nodded, throwing concerned glances over to Kingston. “ Ok,” The doctor took in a breath, picking up some forms from the nurse who stood by with them, “ So we’ll just need you to fill out some consent forms for your son, and then we can get him up to surgery.” Blake fidgeted.

 

“ Actually, he’s not my son,” He admitted lowly. The doctor tilted his head, looking puzzled, “ I’m his mom’s boyfriend. His mom’s on tour with her band and no one can reach his dad. I picked him up from the nanny,” The doctor’s brow furrowed.

 

“ Well sir we can’t proceed with the surgery unless we have signed consent forms, so if you—“ Blake saw red, and interrupted him.

 

“ Y’all are tellin’ me that you gonna let a little kid suffer ‘cause you don’t have goddamn consent forms?!?!” His voice raised by the end. He took in a shaky breath then, rubbing his hands over his face. “ Sorry, “ he mumbled, “ Sorry, it’s just…” The doctor nodded sympathetically. “ Can I call his mom and can she give consent that way?” The doctor nodded hesitantly.

 

“ Usually not sir, but under the circumstances so long as she’s fine with it it should be ok. You’ll need her help to fill out the forms though. As soon as we have her consent and whether he’s allergic to any medication, we can leave you and her to fill out the forms while we take him up to surgery. “ ‘Blake nodded, already pulling out his phone and dialing Gwen.

 

“ Hi cowboy!” Her cheerful voice picked up on the second ring. She sounded happy and carefree, and Blake hated to burst her bubble but he needed to.

 

“ Gwen, Kingston’s sick,” He said quietly. Gwen inhaled a deep breath.

 

“ What? What do you mean? What does he have? Where’s Gavin?” The questions came rapid fire at him, and Blake rubbed a hand over his face again as he paced in the small hospital room.

 

“ We’re at Cedars Sinai now; he’s got appendicitis.” Gwen made a noise of despair, and he heard noises (she was probably throwing her things in a bag and making arrangements to get back as fast as humanly possible, if Blake knew her and he thought he did). “ Rosa called me freakin’ out, and I.. I took him to the hospital. The rest of the kids should be here any minute with Rosa.” Gwen sniffled, and Blake’s heart broke over the phone.

 

“ Where the hell is Gavin?” She asked loudly, and Blake heard the sound of a zipper being pulled. Blake sighed.

 

“ I dun’t know; Rosa couldn’t get ahold of him. I think i’m the next person she tried,” Blake said.

 

“ Of course you are, Rosa doesn’t know any of my family that well yet, whereas you she sees all the time.” Gwen said. “ I’m on my way; i’ll cancel the rest of the shows. I should be able to be there within an hour and a half; i’m only in Seattle. ” Blake nodded, exhaling a breath of relief

 

“ Okie, but what we really be needin’ is your consent to perform the surgery; they won’t do it without it,” Gwen made a noise of frustration. 

 

“ Give the phone to the doctor,” She said firmly. Blake did as she asked. The doctor talked to Gwen for a few moments and nodded before putting his hand over the speaker to talk to Blake.

 

“ Ok sir, so she’s given you  medical power of attorney,” Blake was floored. She could have just given consent, but instead she gave him the power to make any decisions for her son. “ Now you’ll still need help filling out the forms, but Mr. Rossdale isn’t allergic to anything so we should be good to go. If you want to wait in the waiting room i’ll come find you when we’re done.” Blake nodded, taking the phone but not picking it up yet. He walked over to Kingston, who had been staring at them tearfully.

 

“ Hey buddy,” Blake said softly, and Kingston let out a sob. “ It’ll be ok,” Kingston grabbed his hand then tightly, and Blake set his phone on Kingston’s bed so he could encase the smaller boy’s hand in both of his. “ You’re gonna get fixed up and when you wake up your mama will be here, ok?” Kingston nodded, and he motioned for a hug with his arms. Blake obliged, and kissed his forehead comfortingly. “ You’re gonna be a brave cowboy, right?” Blake asked softly. Kingston nodded, biting his lip. Blake smiled at Kingston. “ There we go. I’ll see you when you’re outta surgery ok?” Kingston nodded again, and Blake picked up his phone from where it was on the bed as Kingston was wheeled out of the room. Blake exhaled a shaky sigh, pushing back the tears that were filling his eyes, and held the phone to his ear as he picked up the forms and walked towards the waiting room. “ Gwen?” He heard sniffles on the other end. “ Ok, let’s start with his Social Security Number…” 

 

It was ten minutes later when they finished filling out the forms. Gwen was almost to the private airstrip where a private jet was waiting to get her, and Blake had told her that he loved her before he hung up the phone. He sighed then, rubbing his hands over his face and feeling slightly shaky. This was a big deal: Kingston being sick, being on the hot seat, sitting in the hospital, Gwen trusting him with medical decisions for her kids. 

 

“ Blake!” He suddenly heard, and found himself with an armful of upset Zuma. Rosa walked in with Apollo in her arms seconds later, and Blake hugged the seven year old tightly. 

 

“ Hi Zoom,” He said softly. Zuma sniffed into Blake’s shirt.

 

“ Kingston gonna be ok?” Zuma asked, in Blake’s lap now, looking up at him. Blake nodded, cradling the smaller boy.

 

“ Yep; he just has to have a bad part of his body removed and then he’ll be fine.” Zuma nodded, and furrowed his brow. 

 

“ Like Ironman?” Zuma asked innocently. Blake huffed out a laugh.

 

“ Kinda,” He said, and Zuma seemed to accept it, curling up on Blake’s lap. Rosa set Apollo down and the toddler immediately made for Blake, hopping up on the chair next to him before wrapping his arms tightly around the country singer’s neck. 

 

“ Bwake,” Apollo said quietly. Blake smiled a little at the toddler, stroking his cheek with the hand not holding Zuma. 

 

“ Hi little giggle,” He said, using the name for Apollo that he’d developed. Apollo giggled then, and wetly smooched Blake’s cheek. Rosa smiled when Blake patted the seat on the other side of him where Apollo wasn’t, sinking down to it with a sigh. “ So, “ Blake whispered, “ Kingston has appendicitis. They’re gonna take out his appendix. Should only take a couple hours.” Rosa nodded, worrying her lip.

 

“ Mr. Shelton, I sorry to go.. how you say it, crazy on the phone, I just did not know what to do,” Rosa said miserably. Blake nudged her shoulder.

 

“ Hey, it’s ok. You did the right thing, alright?” Blake said. Rosa nodded, and smiled a little at him. 

 

An hour and a half later, Gwen practically sprinted into the waiting room of the hospital, her hair flying behind her still set for her show and full makeup on for the stage. She was dressed casually, though, in one of Blake’s plaid shirts (she’d stolen it without telling him; he hadn’t noticed yet but she was looking forward to the ribbing when he did) and jeans. She stuffed her keys in her pocket before stopping short. Because Blake, Rosa, Zuma, and Apollo were all sitting in the chairs. Rosa smiled at her when she saw her, a smile that Gwen returned worriedly. All three of her boys though were asleep. Blake’s head was at an uncomfortable angle thrown over the back of the chair, and Zuma was sprawled across Rosa and Blake’s laps, head in Rosa’s and legs thrown over Blakes. Apollo was cradled in Blake’s arms, little toddler arms wrapped around Blake’s neck and face tucked into Blake’s shoulder as he slept. Blake was cradling the little boy with one hand and Zuma’s legs with the other, and his thumb periodically rubbed over Apollo’s back. 

 

Despite how worried she was, Gwen smiled widely at the scene. She drew her eyes over her boys and her boyfriend, and then quietly walked over to kiss Blake’s forehead and took off his hat to stroke his hair. He stirred, and his arms tightened around her boys before he blinked up at her. A beaming smile hit his face then, and he pursed his lips goofily at her. She put a hand over her mouth to stop her giggle, and obeyed, kissing him softly. Rosa moved down a seat and motioned for Gwen to take her place next to Blake, which she did, Cradling Zuma to her lap tenderly. 

 

“ He’s still in surgery,” Blake whispered, arms still wrapped around Apollo. “ The docs said it should take a couple hours though, so don’t worry if its two or three before we hear from them. He said it’s pretty straightforward though.” Blake finished, and he sighed. Gwen saw the strain in his face, saw the fact that his eyes were worried and his hair was totally disheveled. She cupped his cheek then with the hand that wasn’t holding Zuma, stroking over his face before slipping the hat back on his head. Still stroking his face, she looked in his eyes.

 

“ Thank you,” She whispered. He nodded and held Apollo tighter when the toddler whimpered. Gwen smiled, feeling tears fill her eyes at the sight of Blake being such a natural with her boys.

 

The five of them sat in the uncomfortable chairs for another hour, Rosa on her phone and Gwen and talking softly. Gwen leaned over at one point to put her head on Blake’s shoulder, and Blake turned his head to kiss the top of her hair.  “I see ya wearin’ my shirt, by the way, “ He murmured into the side of her head, and she grinned slightly.

 

“ Thought i’d bring a little cowboy with me,” She whispered back, kissing his clothed shoulder where her head had been resting. He kissed the side of her head and nuzzled at her hair.

 

Gwen had just closed her eyes when someone was tapping her on the shoulder. “ Mrs. Shelton??” the voice said. She fluttered her eyes open and sat up off of Blake’s shoulder, shaking the light doze out of her eyes. She saw the face of the doctor staring down at her, and he looked happy. That was a good sign, right? 

 

“ How did everything go?” Blake asked. Gwen nodded her agreement. The doctor smiled.

 

“ Just fine Mr and Mrs. Shelton, “ Gwen blushed at the names and so did Blake, but he looked at her with wide eyes when she didn’t correct the doctor. “ Kingston pulled through with flying colors; it was a textbook procedure. He’ll be in recovery for another thirty minutes just to make sure he’s ok because this is his first surgery, and then we’ll move him to a regular room for the next day. He should be fine to come home day after tomorrow.” Gwen smiled in relief and so did Blake; Gwen could feel his shoulders sag. 

 

“ Great, thank you so much doctor,” Gwen said softly. The doctor nodded and smiled again.

 

“ You’re very lucky ma’am; your husband got your son here at just the right time. Another half hour and his appendix would have burst, which means a much longer recovery and a much more complicated surgery,” Blake blushed then, staring down at his feet. Gwen looked at him, eyes full of adoration.

 

“ Yes, I am very lucky.” She said softly, and Blake looked up at her, biting his lip and grinning a little in that way she knew meant he was more than pleased. 

 

Within half hour, the boys had been woken up and been instructed to wait in the waiting room while Gwen went to go see Kingston in his hospital room. Blake had started to say that he was going to stay with the boys, but Gwen had looked at him and motioned with her hand and head for him to come with her. He’d bitten his lip and entwined their fingers as they walked up to the room. 

 

Kingston was lying there, looking fragile and frail and oh-so-little. Blake saw Gwen gasp and put a hand over her mouth, her eyes filling, and Blake hugged her to him from the side, kissing the side of her head. “ He’s fine, Gwen,” He said softly, and Gwen just nodded, walking over to her son’s hospital bed and kissing him awake. A s soon as Kingston’s eyes fluttered open and he saw his mother, he smiled widely.

 

“ Hi Mommy,” He said, sounding like a little boy in the way he usually didn’t. Gwen smiled at him, stroking his cheek.

 

“ Hi sweetheart, “ she whispered, sitting on the edge of his bed. “ How are you doing?” Kingston winced a little.

 

“ It hurts,” He said, a little whiny. Gwen kissed his cheek.

 

“ I know honey, but you’ll be better in no time ok?” Kingston nodded, eyes looking around the room.

 

“ Did Blake leave?” Kingston asked. Gwen bit her lip and shook her head.

 

“ No sweetie, he’s right here,” She motioned for Blake, who was hanging by the side of the room, trying to give his girlfriend and her son their privacy. Blake came up to the bed, and Kingston smiled widely.

 

“ Hi buddy,” Blake said. Kingston smiled again.

 

“ Was I a brave cowboy?” Kingston asked, and Blake laughed a little through tears which he wasn’t expecting.

 

“ Yeah,” Blake huffed out, “ yeah you were. The bravest.” Kingston grinned then, and he pouted a little.

 

“ Can I have a hug?” The question was directed out at the room, but Gwen started to move.

 

“ Sure sweetheart, I just have to be careful ok?” She started to hug him and Kingston shook his head.

 

“ No from both of you,” Kingston said. Blake swallowed and Gwen stared up at him, a beam on her face. 

 

“ ‘Course,” Blake said. Carefully and gently, they walked to either side of him and put their arms around him, hands entertaining over Kingston’s body. Kingston sighed happily and closed his eyes, and Blake grinned at Gwen over the top of his head, a grin that Gwen returned. 

 

Gwen’s phone buzzed then, and she removed one hand to pull it out of her pocket. A furrow came over her brow. She kissed Kingston’s forehead (the kid had fallen asleep in seconds flat; must still be the leftover drugs) and motioned Blake outside of the room. He followed, but not before taking a long look at the child in the bed, wondering how the hell his life ended up like this but being more than happy it did. 

 

As soon as they got out of the hospital room, Gwen pinched the bridge of her nose.

 

“ Rosa just sent me a text. Apparently Gavin called her wondering where his kids were when he got home, and Rosa told him what was going on. He’s in the waiting room now demanding to see his son.” Blake rubbed her back gently.

 

“ You should go talk to him, “ Blake said. Gwen crossed her arms.

 

“ I’m so mad at him right now I can’t even see straight, “ She spit out, pacing a little. He gave her a look, and she deflated before making her way down the elevator to the waiting room. 

 

She was all blonde firecracker as she paced up to Gavin, grabbing his arm. “ Over there, now!” She motioned to another area of the waiting room and grabbed blake with her other hand. Blake followed, wondering why the hell he was a part of this but going anyways. As soon as they were out of sight of the two younger kids, Gwen rounded on Gavin, poking him in the chest with her nail. “ Are you out of your motherfucking mind?!?!?!?!?!?” She said angrily, face furious. Gavin looked at her, puzzled and opening his mouth. Gwen threw up her hands, “ No! I’m not going to listen to any of your blasted excuses Gavin! Why the hell didn’t you pick up your phone?!?!?!” Gavin fidgeted, a little uncomfortable.

 

“ I was on a date,” he said with his clipped British accent, like it was no big deal. Gwen’s mouth opened and then closed, and her eyes got even icier.

 

“ You were on a date?!” She practically shouted, “ Well when you have kids and the nanny is calling you over and over again, don’t you think that might be a fucking clue to pick up your fucking phone!!!!!?” Gavin crossed his arms, staring at her.

 

“ My phone was off.” He said, like that was that. Gwen scoffed.

 

“ Oh my god!!!” She practically whined. “ You don’t turn your phone off when you have kids and they’re not with you, how stupid are you?!?!” She was working up to a right fury now, Blake could see. And the British bastard just didn’t get it. Gwen poked him again. “ Give me one fucking reason right now why I shouldn’t go to the courthouse right now and petition for full custody. Tell me now!!” She demanded. Gavin paled, and Blake (surprisingly in that moment, because he understood why Gwen was angry), felt bad for the guy. Blake knew Gavin loved his kids and that he was a decent father (maybe not the best but good enough). 

 

“ Gwen i’m sorry, “ Gavin said calmly, “ but there’s no way I could have known this would happen.” Gwen shook her head. 

 

“ That helps nothing right now, Gavin Rossdale, because this evening Blake Shelton who’s known the boys well for only five months has been a better father figure than you. “ Blake fidgeted, stuffing his hands in his pocket as Gavin glared at him, all possession and protective of his children. Blake decided to intervene then, if only to stop Gwen when she got on one of her rampages that she would usually regret later ( it didn’t happen often but when Gwen wound up she really let go). 

 

“ Gwen, honey, “ Blake touched her arm slowly, and didn’t miss the way Gavin’s eyes narrowed at the endearment, “ Why don’t we let him see his son and we can talk about all of this later, ok? Let’s not do anything crazy.” Gwen looked over at him then, a little incredulous until she met Blake’s calm eyes. Her shoulders sunk, and she calmed. They stared at each other a few more seconds, and then Gwen squeezed his hand. 

 

“ C’mon Gavin, let’s go see Kingston.” Gwen said tensely. As they walked past the waiting room, Gwen leaned up to whisper in Blake’s ear.

 

“ I love you,” She said. Blake beamed, forgetting bout Gavin and the hospital. He kissed her cheek (not noticing Gavin’s huff of irritation). 

 

“ I love you too, “ Blake said sincerely, and he did. He loved her kids, and he loved her.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all of the comments, and keep 'em coming!


	5. Three and One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three kinds of sex Gwen and Blake had and one time they didn't have any at all (but it sure looked like they did).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know that song Shameless? That’s me right now guys! This came to me when I was browsing the Shefani Twitter feed (because I am sick right now and thus have no life, or at least that’s the excuse i’m giving myself), and I had to write it. Also, I can’t believe how schmaltzy this is! I am a girl who hates Nicolas Sparks (with a fiery burning passion), and would much rather go watch a good mystery or sci-fi film than a chick flick, but it seems like schmaltz is what i’m writing right now.
> 
> Also, spot the West Wing quote and get a gift of a Shefani fic written about anything you want! First one to name the line in the comments wins!

**_One: Tender:_ **

 

When she asks him to be part of her video blog that she’s doing, she expects him to be reluctant. Gavin hated being in pictures with her despite the fact that he was a celebrity too, and she expects Blake to be the same. She expects to have to convince him by telling him what its about, and then have him agree reluctantly only out of a desire to please her. Instead, he agrees happily, wiggling his eyebrows and joking that he’d do nude scenes if it was integral to the plot of the blog. She’d laughed herself silly, and he’d beamed watching her. 

 

When she pulls out her phone and pulls up the camera app sitting on the tree stand in Oklahoma (because even though she intended to film a lot she hasn’t filmed much at all; she usually ends up too caught up in his eyes or his smile and they’re frenching before she has a chance to pull out her phone; she’s not showing the people _that_ thank you very much), he asks her what she wants him to do. 

 

“ Uhm…. I dunno. Maybe just, like, kiss my cheek or something?” She says uncertainly. He nods happily and wraps one of his arms around her, kissing her forehead as she turns on her phone as they’re sitting cross-legged on the tree stand. When she says go, she expects him to kiss her cheek once and potentially hold the kiss for the length of the time she films. Or, he’ll just kiss it once and move away. However, she smiles widely as he kisses it over and over with feather light kisses, before nuzzling against it and sucking lightly with pursed lips. She can’t help it then; her eyes close and her mouth opens on a half-laugh, half gasp. With her hand, she fumbles for the stop button on the video, turning it off and practically tossing her phone to the side. He’s still _kissing her cheek_ even though he doesn’t have to, over and over again with alternating light pecks and soft nuzzles. She leans into it and bites her lip; she can’t help it. As soon as he realizes the video’s off, he’ll stop right? 

 

Wrong, because as soon as he realizes the video’s off (he opens one eye and sees her toss away the phone before he closes it again and keeps kissing her cheek), he turns to cup her face, kissing her tenderly on the lips with soft tongue and wet moist mouth. She lets out a noise under her breath, and he smiles into the kiss before reaching up to remove her hat so he can run his fingers though her hair. She leans into his kisses, breathless. 

 

The next moment, he’s breaking away to remove his jacket with quick but deliberate motions, balling it up and placing it on the floor behind her head. He cups her face again and kisses her deeply and purposefully, slowly pushing her back to lay on her back in the tree stand with the jacket under her head. He massages his tongue with hers, and she goes back willingly, letting him take care of her (a lot of their relationship has been him taking care of her; she senses he’s missed having someone to take care of and with his nurturing personality he needs to take care of someone; she doesn’t mind at all and in some moments likes to think she’s been taking care of him, too). He braces his hands on the stand to prevent himself from lowering his whole weight to her, and breaks the kiss with a soft sound to look down at her. 

 

“ Will you let me make love to you?” He asks softly, almost a whisper. She looks up at him with wide eyes.

 

“ Here?” She whispers back (they don’t need to be whispering but it’s something about the atmosphere that makes her feel like they need to keep quiet). He nods.

 

“ There’s no one around for miles,” he says, leaning down for a tender dry kiss. “ It’s just you,” he kisses one cheek and nuzzles it, “ and me,” he moves to the other one, doing the same thing. Gwen bites her lip and leans into his cheek kisses. He moves down to her neck, covering it in soft kisses and gentle nuzzles. Taking a deep breath in (because she’s never done _anything_ like this; she’s never made love anywhere but in a bed at night and she doesn’t know why she’s being so daring now but she’s forty-six with three kids and she feels like its her first time all over again), she nods. He breaks away from her neck to look at her, and smiles tenderly into his dimples, all heart eyes and soft scruff. She can’t help it, she smiles back, wrapping her arms around his neck and bringing him down for a tender kiss. 

 

He returns it, letting their kiss heat up to wet tongues and suction and the light pressure of teeth on lips, and she feels her core respond, wetness pooling in her jeans. He brings more of his weight down onto her, slowly and softly grinding his jean clad half-erection into her core until its a full blown erection. 

 

He sits up and pulls her up with him then, taking off his hat and fluffing his hair (she doesn’t have the heart to tell him that it sticks up in all directions and kind of makes him look like a crazy professor; she knows he’ll get embarrassed and he’s just too cute in this moment) before gently and slowly unzipping her jacket and pulling her sweatshirt over her head. He takes her shirt with the sweatshirt, leaving her in her simple black bra. His hands come around to her back to unhook it with ease, and she starts to lay back down. He stops her with his hands, taking of his own sweatshirt and putting his sweatshirt underneath her to pad her way (he’s making sure she doesn’t get cold; and her eyes want to fill with tears at the thought of this wonderful man she’s been missing out on for the past forty-six years of her life). She runs her hands down his back to skim her nails over the skin as she kisses him, and he groans a little into her mouth before letting her help him remove his undershirt.

 

They undress each other that way, with soft touches and gentle sighs, until they’re bare skin against bare skin against the tree stand (and Gwen’s never been naked like this before in nature; she finds it exhilarating and a little life affirming for some reason). His fingers skim down her thighs as he slowly spreads her legs and bends her knees, taking his fingers to her pussy and gently rubbing her clit. She whimpers into his mouth as he sucks on the tip of her tongue. He gently guides his dick into her then, and she gasps as she feels his fullness (it’s so good every time; she’s had more sex in the last two months than she’s had in the last five years, but she never ever gets tired of it). 

 

They almost exist in a dreamworld as they move in sync together, mimicking each other’s motions almost unconsciously. When she comes, it’s less a bright flash of an orgasm and more like a fire that suffuses her whole body, and she clenches around him for what feels like hours as she gasps into his neck. 

 

He pulls her up for a kiss when it’s his turn, groaning and gasping into her mouth through the seam of their lips. she holds him tight to her, soothing the trembles that run through his body with her wandering hands.

 

After its over, they kiss and kiss, and he gets dressed and then helps her get dressed right down to her hat which he puts on her head for her. He kisses her all over her face with soft little pecks, and is smiling and sated. For her part, she feels like she’s in the best dream ever, and she never wants to come out. She sits next to him and looks out at the beauty before her, and hugs him to her tightly, smiling. 

 

 

**_Two: Frantic:_ **

 

In the back of her mind, Gwen realizes she’s making googly eyes at her boyfriend every chance she can get at a very public press conference before the Voice finale. But she can’t help it; she’s happy and healthy and he’s sitting right _there,_ all attractive with his well coiffed curls and those long, muscled legs and his long fingers (that are good for more than just touching her hands, if she was honest) wrapped around his water and his mic. 

 

It’s like he has a psychic sense of when she’s watching him, because he’s looking over at her almost as often. Adam’s going on about Jordan, and she catches Blake’s eye over Pharell and Adam. She twitches her leg a little, ducking her chin and smiling coyly while batting her eyelashes (Blake made her feel about fifteen years old sometimes, and she kind of loved it). Blake, for his part, moves his fingers up and down over his water-bottle, which causes her to huff out a laugh (she knows _exactly_ what he’s mimicking; they’d mimicked it just last night, in fact) and smiles back, a small dorky one that gradually grows larger until he has to look away. She smiles through her eyelashes at him and looks away too, trying to compose herself and get control of the heat radiating through her body. _For God’s sake Gwen,_ she thinks, _you’re a professional, not some horny fifteen year old. Focus._ And she manages to for a little while; she even says some coherent memorable things, but she catches Blake looking her way at least four more times in the remaining ten minutes of the press conference. During the most recent one, his eyes are trailing up and down her legs, and the very tip of his tongue unconsciously comes out to trace his lips as he smiles a little. She catches his eye again and blushes, fiddling with her nails and ducking her head again as her body tingles. _God,_ she’s so crazy for this man. 

 

The minute the press conference is over, Gwen stands up, feeling a rush of wetness in her core that almost makes her gasp (she can’t remember the last time she got wet in public like this; she’d find it embarrassing but she knows no one will be able to tell). She hands the mic to the stagehand, smiling politely at him, before walking towards backstage and her dressing room to touch up before the show. They have about twenty minutes, and she’s going to dab at the oil on her face and fix her hair and drink some cool water and hopefully get control of the arousal coursing through her body. 

 

Suddenly, she feels a warmth by her side and Blake’s there. He looks around and puts a hand on the small of her back, turning her to go to his dressing room. She looks up at him, and almost gasps again at the heat in his gaze as he looks down at her. He practically pushes her inside the small room and shuts the door behind him, hitting the lock. In the next second, she’s in his arms, and the breath is being kissed out of her.

 

“ Fuck you’re so hot,” Blake mumbles into her lips, shoving his tongue into her mouth roughly. She whimpers and shoves out of her shoes, wrapping her arms around his neck. She chases his tongue in her mouth to suck on it, and he emits a low manly groan that makes more moisture pool in her white underwear. He’s always been sweet and tender and slow, and this passionate frantic Blake is a great change (because even though she loved sweet and tender and slow sometimes she wanted him to just lose it and it looked like tonight was going to be the time). Blake wraps his large hands around her thighs then, manhandling her to the big couch. He sits down on it and pulls on Gwen’s skirt to encourage her to straddle him, which she does, pulling her skirt up her thighs as she goes. He groans again, running his hands up the back of her bare thighs. She grinds down on his hardness (it’s burning hot and long underneath her groin), feeling surprisingly bold, and cups his face as she grinds, letting him see her mouth open and panting. He practically attacks her lips then, biting at them before filling her mouth with wet wet kisses. 

 

“ You gonna fuck me cowboy?” She whimpers into his ear, following it up with a wet suck. Blake’s hands stutter from where they’d been mapping out her thighs, and he moves a hand to her underwear underneath her skirt, rubbing over the material. 

 

“ I’m gonna fuck you so good baby,” Blake murmurs into her lips, pushing her to stand up for a moment and removing her underwear while he’s still sitting. He looks up at her as he does it, and as she braces one hand on his shoulder to take off the white lace material she’s never felt sexier or more in need of him _right this second._

 

She practically tackles him to the back of the couch in an effort to get her groin against his, and she frantically tears at his belt and his pants, panting into his mouth. His hands go into her hair as he kisses her sloppily (and man she’s going to owe her hair people so big after this; his hands are messing it up beyond belief). With a groan, he pulls his dick out and slides his underwear and jeans down to his ankles, pulling her further onto him. He dips his fingers in her wetness as he nibbles at her neck, and she pulls them away to suck her moisture off his fingers obscenely before she sinks down on him with no prelude. 

 

“ _Fucking hell, “_ Blake groans, and Gwen kisses him to shush him (surprisingly, it was Blake that usually had trouble keeping quiet when her kids were in the house or when they were near other people; Gwen had had to shush him more times than she could count). Right now, outside, there are about a million people waiting for the taping, and Adam’s dressing room is right next door through thin walls. Not to mention the crew outside, or the contestants across the hall.

 

“ Shshh Blake baby, you have to be quiet,” She murmurs into his lips, and he nods frantically as she raises and lowers herself onto him at a frantic pace. His hands roam all over her body, from her hair to her back to her boobs (he cups them over her shirt and she knows he wishes he could take it off but they don’t have time) and Gwen clenches her body around him purposefully. He gapes up at her, face already red and sweaty and eyes arousal bright, and shoves his tongue in her mouth for an artless kiss. 

 

It’s not even five minutes before Gwen feels her orgasm approaching. She grabs Blake’s hand and drags it down to her clit, where he rubs quickly against the swollen bud. She muffles her whimpers in his blazer then, clenching around him and feeling moisture pool beneath her thighs as she rides out the bright electric high of her orgasm. Blake helps her through it, the fingers gentling on her clit as she comes down and his other hand in her hair. He pulls her head up then and kisses her sloppily, moving his hand up to his mouth for a taste of her moisture. He hollows his cheeks as he sucks, and Gwen watches him with rapt eyes. 

 

“ Fuck, that’s so fucking sexy,” Gwen whispers, kissing him. He groans and his hips stutter, and she grins. “ You gonna come in me cowboy?” He nods frantically, hands cupping over her breasts. She grinds down on him purposefully then, clenching herself around him as she meets his mouth. She feels his hips slam into her a few more times and then he’s lost, muffling his moans in the seam of their lips as he practically sucks the air out of her lungs. He’s holding on tight to her head with both hands, and it should feel constricting and painful, but all she feels is content and protected. 

 

“ Holy shit, “ Blake murmurs, his voice hoarse. Gwen giggles, still a little out of breath herself, and nuzzles into his cheek. She kisses all over his left cheek with her lips and he beams, still panting. She nudges her forehead against his for a slow tender kiss, unbending her knees with a crack and a wince to stand. She feels moisture on her thighs and between her legs, and when she looks back up at him he’s staring at her thighs like he can see the dampness there. He licks his lips again, and Gwen laughs. 

 

“ Stop it,” She reproaches teasingly. Blake looks up at her and blushes and grins, zipping up his pants and doing up his belt while never taking his eyes off of her. She grins right up until she goes in the bathroom to clean up, and grins as she sits in her chair ten minutes later to get started for the show. 

 

Adam comes to his seat a few seconds later, and gives Gwen a look. She blushes deeply (she can’t help it; because ohmygod he knows), and watches as he goes over to Blake and says something she can’t hear before going and sitting down. A few seconds later, she gets a text from Blake.

 

 **Adam told me we’re responsible for bleaching his brain now.** Gwen giggles, throwing a hand over her mouth as she holds her phone. Quickly, she types back.

 

 _It was worth it tho._ She texts. She gets one back a few seconds later.

 

**Yes it was.**

 

**_Three: Tipsy_ **

 

She’s become a bit of a wild woman since getting together with Blake. Not irresponsibly so, no, but she’s going out more now and doing things and dancing at parties until two in the morning. It’s ironic, because she knows that Miranda loved to party and Blake’s partying used to be very bad; but its as he’s cutting back on his ways that’s she’s ramping up. Just a bit, mind, she’s still a mom and a nearly middle aged woman. But she’s having genuine _fun_ for the first time in a long time, and if that means a few more late nights, than it’s worth it.

 

Take tonight, for example. She’d beamed and readily accepted when Blake had asked her to Amanda’s wedding. It was a chance to spend more time in his second home of Nashville and a chance to meet even more of Blake’s friends (she loved it; it meant he was integrating her more into his life). Plus, she got to see him in a suit (he’d grumbled and groaned about it, but she’d bitten her lip and sauntered up to him, running her hands up vest clad chest when he had put it on before the wedding, telling him with a kiss to his neck how _hot_ he looked; he’d stopped complaining after that.) 

 

The wedding is awesome; low key and silly in the exact personality of Amanda and her fiancé, and Gwen loves it. The reception is one big party, and there’s an _awesome_ Motown cover band playing. She’s having a great time silly dancing with Kelly and her girlfriends, and she’s laughing that night more than she has in a long time. Blake watches her with smiling eyes and brings her drinks and plays the guitar with the band for a song he knows (she swears, he has the most varied musical taste and memory of anyone she’s ever met), his jacket off and shirtsleeves rolled up.

 

All of Kelly’s friends (but not Kelly) are taking shots of something sweet and fruity, so Gwen joins in for one of them, and a combination of the shot and the two drinks she’d had makes her a little tipsy and just a little more uninhibited. She knows Blake’s had a few too; and although his alcohol tolerance is still high (he used to be a huge partier, she knows), its gone down since he stopped drinking so much, and she can tell from his slightly red face and bright eyes that he’s not driving anywhere, either. 

 

It might be the alcohol, might be the atmosphere (full of joy and happiness and silliness, things that have been missing from her life the last few years), but even though she knows Blake doesn’t dance she saunters over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck from behind where he’s sitting and sucking on his ear. Blake freezes and his guy friends laugh good naturally, and he leans into the touch for a minute before bringing his hands up to her arms.

 

“ Dance with my cowboy?” She whispers into his ear, her lips touching his ear. She feels him swallow and nod, and he winks at his friends before moving her arms around his neck so he can stand up. He grabs her hand and pulls her onto the dance floor; and she wraps one arm tightly around his neck and the other in his back pocket to grasp his ass as he wraps his arms around the small of her back, fingertips lightly touching the top of her ass. They sway to the slow song, and stare at each other with what’s probably heart eyes, and Gwen sighs happily, tucking her nose into Blake’s neck. She feels him grin into the top of her head, and feels his lips in her hair. 

 

The tender moment is gone when the slow song ends and a fast, sensual song comes on. She turns in his arms and wraps his arms around her stomach, grinding back into him with her head back in his shoulder. He goes along with it and doesn’t even complain (and he’s surprisingly good at it; she doesn’t know if its the alcohol making him so uninhibited or if he's always had that innate sense of rhythm, she suspects it’s a little bit of both), and she brings an arm to wrap around his neck. 

 

“ You're so handsome,” She whispers back at him, nails scraping lightly over his hairline. He grins into her ear, nosing at the underside.

 

“ And you’re drunk,” He says softly. She giggles, and his hands tighten on her waist.

 

“ Maybe just like, a little bit,” She says. They’re still swaying to the song, and it seems like they’re the only ones on the floor for the moment. She doesn’t know what makes her do it, it’s probably the last shot, but she noses into his ear, murmuring to him in a half whimper half moan “ I’m also so horny,” He inhales sharply, and she feels him go a little slack jawed. His hips stutter a little bit and one of his hands skim up her waist (taking a bit of time at her breasts under cover of making its way to her neck, but she feels his thumb stroke over her nipple and it sends a wave of heat through her) and cup her chin, turning her head so he can kiss her. It’s a filthy tongue kiss, one she would normally never allow in public, but she goes with it, whimpering into his mouth. 

 

“ Jesus,” Blake mutters, his other hand not holding her head moving to her hip. “ Let’s get outta here,” He murmurs against her lips. She nods sharply, and he wraps both arms around her waist then, shuffle stepping them over to the table where their jackets and her purse is. He breaks away only long enough to grab their jackets, putting them over his crotch with one hand as he grabs her other hand. Kelly looks between them  and down at the jacket and shakes her head, laughing. Gwen blushes but grins, and Blake kisses the side of her head. 

 

She leads them out to his bus, practically dragging him up the stairs. The minute the door shuts behind them, she’s unbuttoning his vest and throwing the jackets off to the side, pulling at his tie with frantic fingers. He’s pulling up her dress both layers at a time, and her elbows get stuck in it because she’s not willing to let go of him. He laughs, using the fact that her hands are above her head now to push her back against the bed and practically throw his clothes off. She rips off her dress and her underwear in quick succession, laying on the bed and leaning up on her elbows. 

 

“ Hurry up, “ She whimpers, running her own hand down her body and circling her clit with a finger as she throws her head back. She opens her eyes a little and sees him standing there naked, eyes rapt on her hands. She blushes and bites her lip. “ Should I touch myself for you?” She says softly. He shudders and gets on the bed next to her, leaning up against the headboard and pulling her back into his arms. Her back is up against his chest, and her hips are between his spread legs. He drags her hand back down to her pussy, bringing her other one up to her breast.

 

 “ Let me watch, please, “ He murmurs hotly in her ear. She feels exhilarated and alive, the most sexy and uninhibited she’s ever felt, and so with his lips sucking at her neck and his hands on her hips she brings herself off while he’s watching. When she comes, she arches up and and pants (being louder than she’s ever had; she hopes to god there are no paps outside because if there are they could definitely hear her) and he groans in her ear, “ Oh my fuck babydoll that’s so hot,” His hips are grinding into her back steadily as she comes down, and she grins and turns her head to give him a filthy kiss. 

 

“ Your turn,” She winks at him, and his mouth opens a little (because she’s being extra playful and sex kitten-like tonight; and its unusual). She turns in his arms and looks at him expectantly. He laughs a little and brings his hand down to his erection, pumping it as his eyes flutter shut and his hips jerk. She brings one hand to his hair to pull at the strands and the other to his nipple to pinch it lightly. He moans, loud and rough, and stutters words out.

 

“ ‘m not gonna last long,” She grins and trails kisses up his jaw.

 

“ Tell me when you’re about to come cowboy,” He nods, and she sits back to watch him. He’s glorious in that moment, all mussed curls and frantically moving hand that tightens a little as he gets to the head of his dick and splotched red chest, and he’s moaning and groaning and letting out these panting little breaths that go right to her core. He’s stuttering more and trying to grasp her to pull her in for a kiss (and he’s close, she knows it) so she bends down to shove his hand off of him and take his dick in her mouth, french kissing the head and massaging his balls with her other hand as she pumps up. He lets out an animalistic sound as he shoots in her mouth then, holding her head down (she knows he would normally never do something like that; he’s normally so careful with her but she loves uninhibited caveman Blake too), and his body arches off of its sitting position on the bed. She swallows him down (he tastes like whisky and sweet tea and rain; and it’s wonderful), and looks up at him from her position licking her lips. 

 

He’s panting wildly, staring down at her with a shocked expression. She’s shocked at herself too in the back of her mind; their sex so far has been playful and sweet and sometimes frantic, and she’s never acted quite so… whorish before. But he’s pulling her up by her shoulders and shoving his tongue in her mouth to taste himself, and then they’re kissing again and he rolls her under him, and it’s all okay. She can be whorish and sweet and sexy and playful and shy and everything else around him, because he’ll let her.

 

**_Possessive: +1_ **

 

It was going to be an incredible weekend; she could feel it. She’d spent practically every night of the week with Blake in LA  even though she’s spent her days busy with other things(and knowing that he stays here just for her makes her so happy, because she knows he doesn’t like it a lot of times but she likes to think he’s warming up to it, given that he’s driving now and all). He’d wrapped her in his arms three nights before as her as the family had watched a movie (he’d just started staying over when she had the boys this past week; she was worried how well her kids would adjust but they love Blake and seem to be adjusting just fine), and had murmured in her ear too low for her kids to hear, “ Let’s go to Tish this weekend.” She hears the pleading in his voice (she knows he’s used to spending a lot more time there and he probably misses his home), and she nods readily (because she actually loves it there too; she loves the wide open spaces and the fact that paps don’t care about them there and that she can run around with almost no makeup on and no one comments on it). He smiles into her neck and hooks his chin over her shoulder to continue watching Lion King, and his hands entwine with hers. 

 

That night, when they’re in bed wrapped around each other (She’d told him that she wasn’t ready to have sex with him with her boys in the house, yet, and he’d understood completely, although that hadn’t stopped his eyes from following her as she got undressed for bed. She’d blushed and tried to will down the tingle in her groin to abide by her own promise), she asks him why he wants to go to Tish so badly that weekend in particular (because he’d sounded as if it was important that they go that weekend). He squirms and avoids her eyes and says that he just feels like going, and she knows he’s lying (because he’s a lousy liar; that’s actually one of her favorite things about him. She’d been with a liar for too long to like people who could lie too easily) but she leaves it alone. It’s probably something good he has planned, but she doesn’t know what. 

 

They get on the private jet after dropping her kids off on Friday morning, and he helps her up the steps and sits right next to her on one of the couches. She smiles at him and wraps his arm around her, tucking her head in his shoulder. A few seconds later, he’s fidgeting, bouncing one knee up and down with the hand thats wrapped around her shoulders flexing. His lips are stuttering in her hair from where they’re intermittently kissing it. At first, she decides to leave it alone; but eventually it gets to be too much. She sits up out of his arms, crossing her own arms and raising an eyebrow at him.

 

“ Okay, what’s wrong? “ She says firmly. He avoids her eyes and flushes, and his knee jiggles more. 

 

“ What makes you think something’s wrong? “ His voice is a little shrill and she looks at him with an unimpressed look, down at his knee and at his fidgeting hands and at his face. He blushes again. 

 

“Cmon, seriously. What’s wrong?” She asks gently. He fidgets.

 

“ I just, don’t know how you’re going to react,” He said softly, looking anywhere but her. She furrowed her brow, feeling worry start to gnaw at her gut. (because what was it? was he breaking up with her? Was he sick? What was it?!)

 

“ React to what Blake?” She asked softly, nudging his knee with hers. She saw him take a deep breath and reach into his pocket, pulling out a set of keys.  He fiddled with them with his fingers.

 

“ I…” He mumbled into the ground, “ I want you to have keys to my ranch, and to my house in LA.” He thrust them at her with slightly shaking hands. She gaped at him, mouth open. He cleared his throat, and continued. “ I want ya to be able to take the boys to the ranch whenever you need a break, even when i’m busy.” He fidgets. She stares at him for another moment before beaming brightly, taking the keys with a happy grin before moving over and straddling his lap. He wraps his arms around her hips even as he looks away, and she has to force his face to look at her.

 

“ Blake Shelton, that is, like, one of the sweetest things you’ve ever done.” He beams then, taking in her smiling face. She strokes her hands along the bottom of his hairline, and they stare at each other for a moment. “ You want to make out with me right now don’t you?” She teases.

 

“ Well when don’t I?” He teases back, and she kisses him deeply. They make out like teenagers for a few minutes, before she feels his mouth leave hers and go down to her neck. He kisses underneath her ears, and moves down to the side, sucking and licking at the white skin. She bites her lips and tilts her head to enjoy it more, feeling her skin tingle. He’s using just the right amount of teeth and the right amount of tongue, and she’s scraping her nails along his hairline as she feels arousal course through her body. 

 

They kiss and kiss, and before long the captain is getting on the intercom to tell them they’re landing soon. Blake softens his bite on her neck to soft kisses, and he pulls his head away to kiss her gently before readjusting his hat on his head (because she couldn’t make out with him without running her hands through his curls; no sir). She grins down at him, but instead of grinning back he looks guilty. 

 

“ What?” She asks teasingly, bracing herself on the back of the couch with her hands and keeping her crotch off of him (because she felt his erection and she knew he needed time to calm down unless he wanted to seriously embarrass himself when they got off the plane in Nashville). He stretches his arm out then and grabs her purse, rifling through it until he finds what he’s looking for. She’s watching him with furrowed brows as he pulls out her large Tom Ford compact, handing it to her.

 

“ Look at your neck,” He says guiltily. She opens it, and gasps. The side of her neck that Blake has been sucking now contains one large bruise, incredibly visible to anyone at all who’s paying the slightest bit of attention to her. It’s big and red and purple, and as she touches it she winces a little. He grimaces, and she takes in his face, half embarrassment and half pride at seeing his mark on her neck. She thinks its the embarrassment that makes her do it (because there’s something so cute about him when he’s embarrassed, and she can’t get enough of it), but she giggles and closes the mirror, sticking it back in her purse and throwing her purse to the side. She hops off of him then, and goes to her small bag, set in the corner of the plane. She rifles through it until she pulls out a scarf, which she tosses around her neck and fluffs up until it covers the mark. 

 

“ There,” She says finally, like that’s that. He grins at her, all heart eyes and kiss swollen lips, and she saunters over to him, leaning down with her ass in the air (which his hands automatically go to; god men are predictable) to whisper in his ear. “ You can mark me up anytime you want cowboy,” She whispers, pulling back to grab her bag and stow it as she sits down next to him. He pulls her to him briefly before kissing her forehead.

 

As they’re flying back to LA on Sunday, she touches the three other marks Blake left: one at the center of her throat, one where her neck met her collarbone, and one on the other side of where the first one was. She turns to him and slaps his chest. “ I’m gonna half to wear turtlenecks for the next week you know,” She mock whines at him. He grins, and she can’t help but grin back even though she’s trying to play the upset girlfriend. 

 

Life is good. She has to wear turtlenecks because her boyfriend loves her so much and she has keys to his ranch and a horse named Halo (because “ she was his angel and an angel needs her halo.”). 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your nice comments! I really appreciate them!


	6. Live and Die by Your Smile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> one of my commenters requested a chapter dealing with Blake having a hard time with Gwen being buds with Tony, so I wrote this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes: I was feeling pretty maudlin last night for reasons I can’t explain. Then I started listening to Blake’s Reloaded album and his slow songs (I normally listen to music for energy and cheering up so i’ve only really listened to Neon Light and Gonna on that CD) and holy crap I was bawling. I’m not an emotional girl usually at all (i’m not a crier) but there’s something about his music and his voice that just gets to me. *sighs*
> 
> Anyways, now that that’s done, I wrote this. It didn’t seem like people really liked the last chapter because I got only a couple of comments (i’d love to know why you didn’t like it if you didn’t; I won’t take offense I promise). So, hopefully you guys like this one better.

Gwen knew it was only a matter of time before her and Blake had their first big fight. All couples go through it; they’re in a pretty pink bubble of romance and happiness for awhile and then something happens to make them fight and realize that they’re just real people in real life. It’s a right of passage in a relationship; once you get through your first big fight you know you’ll get through other tough situations together and you know you’re in it for the long haul.

The pretty pink bubble had lasted for so long, carrying them above situations when Gwen thought a fight would be triggered . Like, that time Blake was at the movies with her and her family and he’d been photographed within an inch of his life way more than he was used to; he’d looked so overwhelmed as flashbulbs went off in his face and he’d clenched his jaw and she’d thought for sure he was going to explode on one of the photographers in front of her kids and they’d fight about that. But, all he’d done is ask Gwen’s mom to watch the boys for a second and pulled Gwen off to a corner of the theatre where there were no paparazzi. He’d hugged her tightly then, so tightly she squeaked a little, and buried his nose deeply into her hair as he took long, measured breaths in and out. A few seconds later, he released her, kissing her gratefully on the forehead and telling her “I just needed a minute” before stepping back out with her kids to where the photographers were. 

Gwen was pretty difficult to get angry and so was Blake, and so even when the other did something that one of them found irritating (like when Gwen had accidentally made them an hour and a half late for their dinner date with Gwen’s brother and sister-in-law because her hair extensions had taken longer than she thought they would because she was chatting too much to her hairdresser —Blake had wiggled his leg against the floor where he was seated on her couch before exhaling a deep breath and telling her she looked more gorgeous than an angel. Or, like when Blake out of a desire to please her kids had given them gummy worms and ice cream at eight o’clock at night and they’d been on a sugar high until midnight. Blake had looked incredibly guilty as he watched them virtually tear the house apart as they ran around with plastic pirate swords, and Gwen had crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at him. She’d shaken her head and gone to the hall closet, pulling out a couple of nerf footballs. She’d stuck them in his hands before going to the sliding door the backyard and turning on the huge floodlights so the whole entire yard was illuminated, and she motioned him outside, telling him to go wear her kids out through a giggle. He’d grinned and kissed her cheek as he went, being followed by three running tornadoes, and had come back an hour and a half later sweaty, exhausted, and grass covered, with a sleeping Apollo wrapped in his arms and a falling asleep Zuma on his back. Kingston had had a wide smile on his face despite the fact he was also tired, and after they’d put the kids to bed Blake had virtually collapsed on the couch with his face in her lap and fallen into the deepest sleep she’d ever seen him fall into, not even bothering to remove his hat or his shoes or take off his jeans. She’d had to wake him up an hour later to go to bed for real, and she’d practically had to wash his body for him in the shower and dress him in pajamas before she spooned up against him and everyone slept until ten on Saturday morning.

She knows they both brought issues they didn’t have before to their relationship, though. Both of them had been betrayed by someone they’d loved; both had been in denial about the shitty states of their marriages for years; both had been desperately in love with their partner until they realized what their partner was like. Gwen isn’t as confident as she used to be sometimes and she sometimes drives Blake crazy with the fact that she has to put on makeup to go to the grocery store. Blake is a little too afraid of making her angry sometimes (sometimes she wonders what the hell Miranda did to him to make him that way but she figures she’ll ask down the line when their relationship isn’t as new), and it sometimes worries her that he looks at her like he’ll live and die by her smile. Also, Blake’s heartbreak was worse than hers in many ways, though she doesn’t really like to compare them. She’d known about the nanny since February and her and Gavin had been having problems for five years; she’d been surprised but not really when she’d finally had enough and had filed for divorce. But Blake had been in the deepest denial, and even as Miranda was virtually ignoring him he was still chasing after her like a lost puppy. She knows (he told her once night when they were commiserating over their hearts over a bottle of red at a Voice party) that he’d gone to surprise his wife on tour and caught her with another man (his eyes had tears in them as he said it and she’d rubbed his arm over his tattoo; he’d shuddered a little and one tear had slipped from his eye, which she’d wiped away as he looked up at her with the beginning of those ‘live and die by your smile’ eyes.) and that he’d been totally blindsided. She knows his heart was obsessed with Miranda (one of her favorite things about him is how romantic he is) and so he’s hesitant to give so much of himself again because he’s afraid of getting hurt. She suspects he has some abandonment issues too, but they don’t really come through until The Fight. 

In hindsight, she should have seen it coming, but it totally blindsided her in a way she’d be shocked at later. They’re at her album release party together. She’s feeling great tonight; she just released her favorite album ever (because it’s painful and emotional and ever so true) and she’s dressed in a beautiful Vivienne Westwood cocktail dress that’s a work of art; she’s got her signature red lipstick on with long curled hair and tall Louboutin heels. He’s made the entire day about her and she kind of loves it; he wakes her up with her favorite breakfast, washes her hair in the shower, and keeps their PDA to a minimum at the party at her request (because she’s so sick of the press taking pictures of them during their private moments that she’s determined not to give them any more until they get sick of the two of them), instead restricting his touches to her arm or once on her shoulder. He’s looking at her like she’s his angel though, with those ‘live or die by your smile’ eyes and that dimpled grin from across the room. He looks great too; in dark black jeans and a blue shirt with a black vest, his shirtsleeves rolled up to his elbows and tussled grey curls falling ever-so-slightly over his head. She gets up on the small stage set up in the swanky funky restaurant in downtown LA to thank everyone for coming to her party. She’s just turned on her mic when she hears a shout.

“ Surprise doll!” She hears, and all of a sudden she sees Tony come up the side of the stage, his jacket still on (it’s obvious he just got here; and he looks happy and healthy and overjoyed to see her) All of her former No Doubt band members had been busy with other commitments (or so she thought) and she’d been bummed but she understood, but to see one of her closest friends there for her fills her with joy. She practically drops the mic and squeals, running into his arms and letting him lift her up a little. She kisses his cheek and he hers, and he keeps his arm wrapped around her even as she breaks away. 

“ Omigod it’s so good to see you!” She enthuses, smiling widely. She kisses his cheek again before he leaves the stage, but not before he leans in to murmur,

“ We have got to talk about your new boy, love, and i’ve gotta meet him. Let’s chat after, ok?” She nods at him, still smiling (she’s looking forward to positively gushing about Blake, even though Tony and he have nothing in common she knows her childhood friend loves to see her happy even though they didn’t work out; she also knows Tony hated Gavin with a fiery burning passion for all the reasons he’s going to love Blake). She finishes her thank you speech to applause and the music (a low playing of her album on shuffle) starts again as she steps off the stage. She looks around for her boyfriend, looking forward to pulling Blake over to Tony so they can meet each other, when she sees his tall curly head over at the bar. This makes her frown, because he told her he wasn’t drinking tonight (as a matter of fact, he’d wrapped his arms around her waist in her house as she was finishing getting ready and murmured in her ear that he wasn’t going to drink and hoped she wasn’t either because he was going to show her how proud of her he was for hours when they got home and he needed her to be awake. She’d swallowed and nodded, wishing she hadn’t just done her lipstick so she could kiss the life out of him). She sees him order something, and the bartender pours a generous two fingers of whisky into a glass over ice before handing it over to him. He takes a large sip, and turns to lean back against the bar. 

Tony sees her frown and furrows his brow. “ What’s wrong?” He asks, putting a hand on her back (he’s touchy and he always has been; even as friends she’s ok with it). She smiles at him and shakes her head, taking him by the hand over to where Blake was. When she gets to where he is, she notices that there’s a furrow in his brow that wasn’t there before, and she doesn’t know what it’s there for but she smiles nonetheless and presents Tony to him. 

“ Blake, this is Tony. Tony, Blake,” She says cheerfully. They shake hands (and she might be imagining it but Blake’s handshake is a little reluctant), and instead of doing what she expected and talking Tony’s ear off like he did everyone else he met who was close to her, he’s surprisingly silent, staring off behind them and taking another sip of his drink. Tony tries to make conversation, he really does, but Blake answers with monosyllabic answers, draining his drink quickly. Gwen’s frown grows with every moment, until Tony is excusing himself with a lame excuse of having to go call his agent; everyone knows that’s not why he’s leaving but no one acknowledges it. Tony hugs her again then, a hug which she returns, and he kisses her cheek (she also returns it) throwing a cheery “ love you!” As he leaves. She throws one back, and he disappears into the crowd.

Suddenly, she hears a thump. Blake has just practically slammed his glass on the bar top, and he’s bracing his hands against it, looking at the ground. He stands up then and starts to stalk out.

“ I’m gonna get some air,” He murmurs, walking quickly outside. She stares after him as her unfailingly polite boyfriend leaves without so much as a by-your-leave. She looks around (no one’s noticed their tiff; thank god. That’s all she needed in the press) and stalks after him, out onto the beach bordering the restaurant.

It’s late and its a chilly night, especially by the water, so she easily makes out his form standing right at the edge of the water, hands in his pockets. Pursing her lips, she toes off her heels, carrying them with one hand as she follows him. When she gets to him, she immediately throws her heels down on the ground, crossing her arms.

“ What is your problem?” She asks firmly, staring up at him. He’s looking away from her, and she sees him duck his head for a moment and run his hand over his face up to his hair. He looks at her, and in the moonlight and the ambient lighting from the restaurant she can see his eyes are dull.

“ Nuthin’. I told ya, needed some air,” He mumbled, looking back out to the water. She shakes her head in disbelief.

“ Not that. I mean, how, like, rude you were to Tony back there. I’m trying to introduce you to one of my best friends, and you act like you’ve never heard of a conversation in your life!” Her voice is getting louder, and he fidgets, hands still stuffed in those damn pockets. He doesn’t answer, but she sees him swallow a few times, and she taps her foot. “ Well?! I’m waiting,” She says. 

“ Notice you didn’t have trouble with his hands all over ya,” He says tensely, but quietly. She furrows her brow.

“ What?” She’s honestly confused; what is he talking about? 

“ His hands; he got to hug ya and kiss ya and tell ya he loves ya for fucks sake!” Blake’s voice has gotten louder, and she looks around to make sure no one overhears him. She stares at him, mouth open.

“ What the hell? You mean Tony? He’s my friend, Blake! We’ve known each other forever!” Her voice is getting louder too. Blake runs his hand over his hair, mussing the curls.

“ He’s seen ya naked; back in Okie we say that there’s more than friends,” Blake says, and Gwen gapes, totally in shock at what is coming out of her normally polite, kind, respectful boyfriend’s mouth.

“ You think i’m sleeping with Tony??!! Exactly when would I have had time, with you constantly in my back pocket??” She says shrilly. As soon as she says the words, she instantly regrets it because she loves him in her back pocket, but his face shutters, but not before she sees the naked hurt there. Oh god, she’s really screwed up. But, she holds on to her anger still. 

“ Well it looks like that’s where you want him!” Blake retorts back, and he turns away from her to stuff his hands in his pockets again. He paces a little as he talks, “ Gwen, we’ve been dating for seven months if you count September which I do. Ya won’t let me touch ya or even hug ya during this thing but your ex can have his hands all over ya and it’s no problem. At some point ya gonna have to choose to say i’m more than yer ‘good friend,’. At some point yer gonna have to say i’m yer partner and a part of your life to the media, even if you ain’t wantin’ to.” She looks up at him with wide eyes. They talked about this, talked about the fact that it was still so soon after Gavin and that she needed time. 

“ Blake I thought we talked about this and that you got it that I needed time before I flaunted our relationship in national news media?! Apparently not! What do you want from me?! Not to hug my friends???!! I don't have time for jealousy,” She said, throwing up her hands. He stared at her, swallowing again.

“ You don’t even see me in the picture in six months, do ya?” He asks quietly, but firmly. His gaze is rapt on her face, and she fidgets (because she hoped so, she saw him but she didn’t want to get her hopes up because they were so different sometimes). She opens her mouth to answer, still staring at him, when a flashbulb goes off in the corner of her eye. She turns to look at it, and finds one of the event photographers standing there with his night camera.

“ Gwen! Blake! The angle is so perfect! Wanna hug each other for a photo??” The photographer grins at them, obviously having no clue what he interrupted. Blake can’t seem to speak (or do anything but look at her with that same expression) so she speaks for the both of them.

“ Sorry, Jack. We’re not doing that here.” She doesn’t know what makes her say it; maybe its the little bit of anger still left in her, maybe its her wanting to reiterate to him that she has no patience for jealousy, but she continues, “ Tony’s here though. Come get a picture of us later.” As soon as she says it, she sees Blake flinch, a full body thing that makes him clench. The photographer smiles at her, still totally oblivious, and walks away, and Blake stares at her. His face is totally impassive now.

“ Thank you,” he said softly, so softly she could barely hear him, “ That’s useful information.” He brushes past her then, careful not to touch her. His shoulders are slumped as she watches him go, and she sniffs away the tears that she didn’t even know had appeared in her eyes. 

She gives herself a few minutes to compose herself before she goes back in, but within a minute she’s getting a text from Blake.

taking a cab back to my place. Her chin wobbles as she holds in a sob, and she texts back with shaky fingers.

Can I come by later? A second later, she gets a response back.

dont think its a good idea. i gotta stop being in your back pocket right? She covers her mouth with her hand then, and her shoulders shake. She allows herself a few minutes to compose herself out there on the beach before she acknowledges that despite the shit that just happened, she’s still a professional and she’s the star of this party full of bigwigs and her friends and record executives, and she needs to go in and make nice. 

So make nice she does for the next twenty minutes, until the pain of not seeing Blake watching her with those ‘ live and die by your smile’ eyes becomes too much. But she doesn’t want to be alone either, and she hates at that moment that she’s not sure where to go. Because her sister in law and brother are on vacation with her parents, and Gavin’s got the kids. The people she would normally turn to in this situation aren’t there. It’s then that she thinks of Behati, who she knows is in town for the next month with Adam. 

They’d gotten close over the last seven months; because Adam was Blake’s best friend and they went out a lot together; Behati was goofy and dorky and didn’t know how beautiful she was and a great listener, and exactly the person Gwen needed right now. She fires off a quick text.

Can I come over? B and I had a huge fight and I need to talk to 2 someone. The response comes as she’s pulling on her jacket and making her excuses to her agent (they’re not happy but her telling them she doesn’t feel well seems to do the trick).

Sure. I’m out by poolhouse though; come around the back gate and not thru front door cuz I wont hear you. Gwen texts back.

Ok. thnx. She takes another moment once the valet brings her their (well hers now) car, and she is a block away from the restaurant. She suddenly realizes she can’t see the road for her tears, and she has to pull over and dab at her eyes with the heels of her hands. Her shoulders shake, and she slouches a little in the seat as she cries. How the hell did she get here, from having a great night and a wonderful evening with the man she loved celebrating her achievement to crying in her car at eleven o’clock at night?

When she opens the back gate, Behati’s there to pull her into a hug, and she sinks against the taller woman, letting herself cry on her shoulder for a few moments. Behati hugs her and then brings her to sit on their lounge chairs, giving her a bottle of sparkling water that’s still chilled from the fridge in the poolhouse. Gwen leans back, trying to inhale her tears as much as she can. 

“What happened?” Behati’s soft accented voice asks her, and Gwen inhales on a sob.

“ We were at the record party,” Behati nods, “ And Tony showed up to surprise me. I guess we, like, hugged and kissed each other’s cheeks alot, which we do all the time, and Blake went all jealous werewolf caveman.” Behati tilts her head, her voice questioning.

“ What do you mean?” Behati asks. Gwen sighs, finding with the Perrier label on her bottle.

“ Well, like, he said that why shouldn't he get to hug me and kiss me in front of people when Tony could, and I told him I thought he understood why I couldn’t be in public pictures with him yet.” Behati looks at her, face totally impassive.

“ So, he is angry because you let your ex-boyfriend put his hands all over you and not him?” As Behati says the words, Gwen sees that it’s a little ridiculous.

“ Well it’s not like we were making out; we hug and kiss each other’s cheeks like all the time. Besides, we’ve had sex, it’s not like it’s a surprise what’s under there, “ Gwen says, fiddling with her water. Behati tilts her head. 

“ Maybe that’s the problem, no?” Gwen furrows her brow; she doesn’t understand. “ So, Miranda cheated on Blake, right?” Gwen nods, she knew that. “And Miranda made Blake feel like he didn’t matter as much as the one she cheated with, right?” Gwen nods again. “ So, maybe when you let this Tony touch you at the party, it made Blake feel like he didn’t matter as much as Tony.” Gwen shakes her head.

“ The two things are totally different, “ Gwen insists, sitting up straighter, “ for one thing, Blake caught Miranda having sex with that guy. All I was doing is giving Tony a hug and letting him kiss my cheek and…” she trails off as she realizes what she said, “ telling him that I love him.” She winces as she finishes the words, and Behati’s eyebrows raise.

“ You told Tony you love him?” Gwen nods at Behati’s question.

“ Well, I mean, like a brother, and he knew that.” Gwen says emphatically. Behati tilts her head.

“ Yes, but does Blake?” Gwen raises her hands in the ‘ I don’t know’ gesture, and Behati sets her water on the side table. “ So, you don’t let Blake touch you or be in the pictures with you, but you let your ex-boyfriend be in the pictures with you and touch you. And you tell Tony you love him, but you have not yet told Blake, right?” Gwen’s eyes widen and she shakes her head. She hasn’t found the right moment to express it publicly, because she does love him, she just she shows it in gestures and things she does and not in words like he says to describe her (he’d posted a picture of her to Twitter before a gala the week before with the caption it’s a beautiful evening to be with the one you love ). Gwen whines, her eyes filling again and shaking her head.

“ Oh my god,” She rests her head in her hands, feeling about two feet tall, “ I screwed up, Behati.” She feels remorse course through her veins for even letting him feel unwanted for one second. Behati pats her shoulder softly.

“ Look, I was here with Adam when Blake stayed with him after his divorce, “ Behati’s words are quiet, “ Blake was.. how do you say it… a mess. He wondered how he didn’t see the cheating coming and even during the proceedings Miranda made him feel like it was his fault that she’d cheated. That and his brother and dad died when he was young, relatively.” Gwen nods pitifully, “ So I think he…. he feels like everything and everyone he loves is going to leave him. I’m not saying jealously is a good thing, but that’s probably why he was jealous.” Gwen sniffles into her hands. “

“ Oh my god you’re totally right,” She mumbles into her palms. Behati clears her throat. Gwen looks up at Behati and finds her looking slightly guilty, which makes Gwen tilt her head. “ What?” Gwen asks. Behati fidgets.

“ Blake, he’s….. inside talking to Adam right now. That is why I asked you to come meet me by the poolhouse.” Gwen’s eyes fly over to the large house, where the curtains are closed on the living room and foyer. “ Blake was… he was crying.” She feels her eyes fill more at the thought that she’d made her beautiful man cry (unlike what most people thought he cried relatively easily just only in front of certain people and she’d never ever made him cry out of sadness before; she hates it), and she bites her lip. She’s so busy thinking and kicking herself and blinking tears out of her eyes that she doesn’t notice Behati until she puts a green velvet ring box on the side table next to Gwen. It’s from Gwen’s favorite absurdly expensive jewelry store. Gwen blinks at it, and Behati fidgets again. “ Blake had this in his pocket; he told Adam to get rid of it but I think you should see it, no?” Gwen’s hand reaches to the box with shaking fingers, and she picks it up and opens it.

Inside is one of the most stunning cocktail rings she’s ever seen, all swirling black and white diamonds and red rubies on a silver setting. It’s large (and must have cost a fortune, based on what she knows about this jewelry designer; even she only has two things of it because it’s so pricy) but not gaudy, and she imagines immediately how it will look on her middle finger (the sizing of it says immediately to her that thats what its meant for, and she’s a little bit grateful it isn’t an engagement ring even though she’s a little bit regretful too). She pulls it out of its place int he box to look at it more closely, and she sees something written on the inside. She squints, looking at the thick band to try to read it clearly. When she sees what it says, she puts a hand over her mouth, and her eyes are filling again. Forever yours. It’s so sweet and stereotypically romantic and typically Blake, and she places it reverently back in the box before standing up immediately.

“ I’ve gotta go talk to him, “ Gwen says firmly, sniffing and wiping the tears out of her eyes. Behati smiles and stands with her, and they make their way to the house, where Behati unlocks the sliding door with her key and slides it open, letting them inside. Gwen hears him immediately, hears his low tone that makes her tingly and hears the roar of the fireplace. She takes a deep breath.

Here we go, she thinks, steeling herself.

When she steps inside behind Behati, she immediately sees Blake on the couch with his head in his hands and Adam sitting next to him. Blake looks horrible, all rumpled clothing and curls that are sticking up from having his hands run through it. Adam looks up as soon as they come in, and when he sees Gwen his hand curls protectively around Blake’s shoulder. 

“ Bee…no…” Adam starts to say. Behati motions him off to the side and they have whispered, inaudible conversation for a few moments before Behati looks over at her at nudges her towards the couch with her head with Adam looking on reluctantly. Gwen takes a deep breath and slowly sits down next to him, taking in his slouched shoulders and hung head. She doesn’t know what to say in that moment, doesn’t know how to express the depth of regret she feels and also the force of her love for him. She wonders if this is when they’ll break up; she hopes not. 

“ Hi,” She finally settles on, speaking ever so softly. He tenses (he was obviously expecting it to be Adam sitting back down), and his hands clench from where they’re in his hair. She sees him open his eyes and set his jaw. He sits up a little, resting his elbows on his knees and looking out in front of him. 

“ Hi,” he says eventually, voice hoarse. As she looks closer, she sees his eyes are red and puffy and there are tear tracks on his face, and her own eyes fill at the thought that she could have possibly hurt him this badly. She tries to meet his eyes, but he won’t let her.

“ You going to look at me?” She says softly. He swallows and shakes his head. She inhales a shaky breath. “ Ok then, well, i’ll just have to go,” as she takes a deep breath to start, she sees him flinch as soon as she says the word go, and he bites his lip. “ Blake, i’m so so sorry. I didn’t think how my being so touchy with Tony in public would make you feel.” She’s practically pleading now, and he’s implacable. “ I hate that i’ve made you feel unwanted, because you’re not. I want you so much, not just today but for tomorrow and for the next forever,” she’s babbling now, she can’t help it, but he’s finally looking at her, all rain pain in his eyes and sadness bright blue. “ I love you, like, so much,” His eyes widen as she says it, “ please give me time to show you.” She finishes with a sniffle, wiping at her eyes. He swallows again, looking at her up and down. 

“ Gwen…” he starts, looking down by his knees, “ I’m sorry I got all needy tonight,” as he’s saying it she’s shaking her head (because he wasn’t getting that this all wasn’t his fault), but he continues before she can say anything, “ I can tone in down in public, I can,” it sounds like the words are hurting him to say, but he says them. She can’t help it then, she cups his face in her hands, and sees a couple of tears run down his face; his eyes are raw pain.

“ No, no no no no,” She repeats, shaking her head repeatedly, “ What i’m saying is that i’m all in. With, with arms wrapped around each other on the red carpet, with goofy silly lovey Twitter posts and dancing with you at parties. As a wise person once said, the haters can suck it,” She’s quoting him as she’s saying it, and smiling softly at him. He still looks at her like he doesn’t believe her.

“ You mean I can touch you?” He says softly, like he still expects to be turned down. She inhales on a sob, and nods, and she’s barely moved her head before he’s practically collapsing into her chest, nosing into her neck with a raw sound and wrapping his arms tight tight around her. She oofs and puts one finger in his hair and the other on his back, and she soothes him as he cries softly against her shoulder as his cheek rests on it. 

After a few minutes, she softly leans back and pulls him with her, letting her legs spread open as much as she’s able and making room for him to lay down on her on the large couch. Far from being constricting like she’s expecting, the weight is comforting and familiar and him, and she loves it. He’s sniffling in his tears and nuzzling into her shoulder blade as his hands touch her everywhere, and she’s making shushing noises under her breath. She feels like he needs to hear the words again, so she cups his face with her hands and lifts his head. He looks at her with the biggest ‘ live or die by your smile’ eyes she’s ever seen, and she smiles tearfully at him.

“ I love you,” she says firmly, and he grins widely through his own tears. He kisses her palms, one at a time.

“ I love you too,” he says, sighing happily and nosing back into her neck to close his eyes. 

A week later, she has the opportunity to show him just how much she loves him. They’re at a party at his label, full of country music stars and people who she would normally never be so public in front of, and he’s holding court with a couple of record producers as she walks in (late from a dance rehearsal she had for her new music video; they’d agreed to meet there) she’s dressed in a beautiful red sheath with black shoes and has his ring on her finger displayed prominently, and she walks over to him after handing the valet her coat. With a grin, she wraps both of her arms around him from behind, nosing into his shoulder. She feels him tense and then smile, turning around with a beam to tuck her under his arm. She goes willingly, gripping his chin to pull him down for a soft kiss. He’s surprised but goes too, and he looks at her with wide eyes as she breaks away and nuzzles his cheek.

“ You going to introduce us?” She says happily, motioning to the record producers, and he shakes his head a little to clear the cobwebs before he beams again, doing so.

There’s a photographer and she purposefully brings him over later in the party when Blake is right there, gripping the young man’s arm. “ Eddie, right?” He nods, “ Well, we’ve changed our photograph policy, and you can take as many of the two of us as you want ok?” The photographer smiles but it’s nothing compared to Blake, who’s looking at her like she’s given him the stars and the sun in the sky. Just to prove it, she wraps both of her arms around his waist from the side and tucks her face into his shoulder, sighing happily. She sees the photographer snapping away and Blake’s frozen for a second before he’s threading his fingers through her hair and one on her middle of her back. She breaks away to kiss him, then, gently, knowing thats probably the picture that will be on every gossip website, before taking his head and asking him if he wants to dance. He has a cat that got the cream grin the rest of the night, and she kind of loves it.

The next morning, she purposefully gets on Twitter when he’s with her at the table eating breakfast and checking his own phone, and she posts the picture of them kissing, tweeting out So lucky to have this incredible human in my life # loveu #uramazingcowboy #everybodylovesblake. He sees it a few moments later and beams at her wider than she’s ever seen, even as he’s blushing an attractive rose color. She nuzzles her fingertips into his cheek before she sips at her tea, and he grins. They weathered their first fight and came out the other end, and they’re in it for the long haul.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading everyone; stay tuned for a totally new story from me that i've written a few chapters of already.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm in the process of writing this story now (it's one of the ones that isn't done) so if you have suggestions let me know. I have two chapters fully written including this one (and the other one is a monster beast of a chapter just like this one) and a few more ideas, but you all always have such great ideas! Thank you everyone for your support and comments, and keep on doing your Shefani thing! :)


End file.
